Shin no Duelist
by tai'sgirl23
Summary: Millennium Items and Ancient Magic. Mystical Spirits and Powerful “Duelists”. A land called Domino covered in darkness. Can a man named Yugi restore the light? ShonenaiYaoi Main: YugixAtemu. Others inside.
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello again. tai'sgirl23 here. As you can see, I'm back with another story. After the success of my story "Rekindled Love" (which was my first full Yaoi story), I though I'd give this a try. This story was inspired by the book "Eragon" by Christopher Palini. And before you say it, I **won't **be copying the story word from word. This will be my own creation that I hope you'll enjoy reading.

Anyway, enough of me yapping away. Let's get on with it, shall we?

_Shin no Duelist_

_Couples_

_Main: Yugi x Atemu_

_Others: Seto Kaiba x Jonouchi, Ryou x Bakura, Malik x Marik_

_Genre: Fantasy/Romance_

_Rating: T_

_Summary_

_Millennium Items and Ancient Magic. Mystical Spirits and Powerful "Duelists". A land called Domino covered in darkness. Can a man named Yugi restore the light?_

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters.

Big thanks to my beta **Darkyami7** for their quick and fantastic work.

-I-

Shin no Duelist

Prologue

-I-

There have been tales throughout history, of lands once living in peace that have been corrupted by war. Lands are covered in darkness, men battle for their lives, cities crumble in a blink of an eye. But there always comes a hero, whom battles for good and restores the light to the land, bringing peace and happiness to the people and forever banishing the darkness.

If this is true, then why has no hero come to save this land?

The land of Domino was once a peaceful land ruled by a kind King and the seven Duelists. These Duelists were powerful people, each possessing unspeakable magic, granted to them by their mystical Millennium Items. Although not much is known about their magic or the sacred items, much is know about their triumphs. Working for the King, they spent their lives protecting the Kingdom of Domino, using their powers in mysterious ways.

But that did not last for long.

One Duelist named Pegasus rose up against the King and his fellow Duelists. After many bloody battles, he defeated the King and took the throne for himself. Once in power, the land of Domino was shrouded in chaos and fear. The Duelists tried desperately to bring order back to their land, but like the former King were quickly defeated. Before Pegasus was able to seize control of the Millennium Items, they-along with the Duelists-disappeared and were never heard from again.

Thirteen years have passed since the Day of Darkness, and not much has changed. Although it is known that the Millennium Items have been passed on to the next generation, it is not known whether or not all of the Items have found a new Duelist. Rumours and gossip spread over the land quickly, and news that three of the new Duelists have been captured by Pegasus is soon common to the people of Domino.

If heroes rise up to stop evil, then why has no hero risen up to help us, the people of Domino? And will we ever be able to live like we once did, without the constant fear of Pegasus controlling our lives?

-I-

A/N: Well, that's the prologue for you. Hoped you liked it. If so, please read chapter one, which is up now.


	2. Stage I: Yugi Mutou

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters.

Big thanks to my beta **Darkyami7** for their quick and fantastic work.

-I-

Shin no Duelist

Stage I: Yugi Mutou

-I-

"Careful now. You don't want to make too much noise, Rebecca, or you'll scare it away."

Rebecca glanced at her "instructor" crouched down on the ground next to her. She gave a loud "huff", blowing a few strands of her blonde hair away from her blue eyes.

"I know what I' m doing!" She hissed as quietly as possible. "You don't have to keep reminding me, Yugi."

Yugi flashed an embarrassed smile. "Sorry," he whispered. "I just want you to get it right."

"And I will do," Rebecca whispered back. She reloaded her bow, sliding the arrow into place. "After all, I've got the best teacher around." She smirked at Yugi. "Right, cousin?"

Yugi gave a quiet, nervous laugh at his cousin. "If you think so."

Something moved a short distance in front of them. Yugi and Rebecca ducked back behind the bush they hid behind. They froze, straining their ears for any sounds. The sound of grass being pulled up from the ground was the only thing that filled their eyes, aside from the numerous birds hidden in the trees.

Holding his breath, Yugi Mutou slowly moved forward, and parted a few leaves to the side, allowing his deep amethyst eyes to meet the sight of a grazing deer. Some of his blonde bangs fell forward, partially blocking his view, but he dare not move for fear of scaring the deer. They had spent the most part of the day looking for a meal, and now that they had finally found one, he wasn't going to let it escape that easily. He just hoped that his large hair of black with tinted mauve was hidden by the bush.

Slowly, he moved his leg to kneel on one knee, moving as silently and slowly as possible. He rested his right arm on his leg, his wrists brushing against his black leggings. His hand clenched the dark blue fabric of his tunic.

"Ready?" he whispered.

Rebecca finished preparing the bow. "Ready."

"Hold it," Yugi hissed. He leaned forward as he watched the deer, waiting for the right moment. "Now!"

The arrow shot forward in a blink of an eye, hitting it's target dead on. The deer never knew what hit him. It's dead body fell to the floor with a "thump".

"I did it!" Rebecca cheered, jumping up from her hiding place. "I did it, Yugi! I did it!"

"You sure did," Yugi smiled. He stood up, wiping the dirt off his clothes and black leather boots. He gather up his bow and arrow before Rebecca crushed them in her celebrations.

"My first time too!" Rebecca ran to the deer. "Grandpa's sure going to be happy when he sees this. This will feed us for a week!"

Yugi walked to his cousin's side. "I'm sure Hopskins will be proud."

"Yugi!" the young girl whined. "How many times do we have to tell you? Grandpa is happy with you calling him "uncle"!"

"I know, but Hopskins isn't my uncle. He's my _Great_ Uncle, remember? It just wouldn't feel right."

"Fine," Rebecca huffed. "Have it your way. Now lets get this home. I can't wait to show Grandpa!"

Yugi couldn't help but laugh at the young girl's happiness. But he couldn't blame her. He had acted in the exact same way when he had made his first hunt with his grandfather. He sighed. _'I sure do miss him.'_

"Come on, Yugi!" Rebecca's order soon snapped him out of his thoughts.

Smiling, Yugi stepped forward to help with the deer, until something caught his eye.

"Huh?"

Yugi glanced to the left, and saw it again. A golden glint, right in the middle of a bush.

Yugi paused for a moment, contemplating what to do. After all, they were in The Yami Forest-The Dark Forest- which was notoriously known for its dangerous creatures. And as they were in part of the forest that was situated on The Ten Mountains-The Heaven Mountains- that danger had increased.

The glint flashed again, and Yugi quickly made up his mind. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he approached the bush. He took careful, slow steps. Who knew what was hiding in the bush?

Stopping in front of the bush, he took a deep breath. Placing his hand in front of him, he parted the bush and quickly looked through the gap. But nothing was there. Nothing that was alive anyway.

Yugi glanced down and saw something hidden in the dirt. Something gold. He reached forward and picked it up. It was covered in dirt. Yugi held it in his hands. There was no doubt about it. From what he could see amongst the dried on dirt, the object was made out of some sort of golden material. It was a strange shape. The only way Yugi could describe it was a broken pyramid. He glanced back down at the ground behind the bush and saw a few more gold pieces scattered here and there. _'They must fit in these gaps. I wonder if-'_

"Yugi! What are you _doing_ over there?"

Yugi jumped at his cousin's command. "Nothing Rebecca!"

"Well can you come and help me with this, _please_?"

"Sure thing!" Quickly, Yugi gathered the golden pieces together, hiding them in his hunting bag amongst a few of his supplies, before going to help Rebecca. Deciding to keep his discovery a secret, he helped Rebecca carry the deer back to their house, which was situated just outside a small village called Serenely.

-I-

"Oh my! What a catch!"

"Isn't it?" Rebecca beamed up at the surprised look of her grandfather's face. "And I caught it all by myself!"

"Rebecca," her grandfather warned in a teasing voice.

Rebecca gave a small growl. "Oh all right. Yugi helped me find it. But I hunted it down grandpa, I swear!"

"She's telling the truth, Hopskins," Yugi shrugged. "I might have found the dear, but Rebecca was the one that caught it."

"I see," Arthur Hopskins said thoughtfully. He smiled at the pair. "Well, it seems we must celebrate tonight. Come, bring it inside and let us prepare."

"Yay!" Rebecca cheered, as she and Yugi brought the deer through the kitchen of their small home via the back door, making their way to the store room.

Once the deer had been placed in the store room built especially for meat out the back, Yugi wiped the sweat from his head, giving a sigh of relief. "I'm glad that's over with."

"Don't rest yet," Arthur said. "This still needs to be cut up. And don't forget the animals need to be fed."

Yugi grimaced at the thought of cutting the deer up. Although he was a skilled huntsman, cutting up his catch had never appealed to him. Neither had the sight of blood. "I'll go feed the animals. You and Rebecca are better at preparing the meat than I am."

"All right," Arthur nodded. "But take Silver with you."

Yugi walked towards the store room entrance and opened the door. "I will do. Silver!" He called out the door, stepping outside as he did and making sure to close the door. After waiting a few short moments, a large dog-shaped creature emerged from the Hopskin's house and ran straight towards Yugi. It skidded on the soft ground as it tried to stop, crashing into Yugi's legs.

"Whoa! Silver Fang! Are you all right?" exclaimed Yugi as Silver Fang finally stopped at his feet. He bent down and stroked his head. "You ready to help me feed the animals?"

Silver Fang-nicknamed "Silver" because of it's beautiful fur-wagged his tail happily.

Yugi smiled. "Okay then. Let's go!"

With a happy Silver walking by his side, Yugi walked the short distance to the Hopskins's farm and busied himself with feeding the many animals that lived there. The creatures varied in all shapes and forms, some being a common cow or horse, whilst others were more unusual, such as the Ojama brothers that always hid in the corner of the main barn. Yugi would always stop and watch these three strange creatures running around, causing mischief where ever they went. Though he had to keep an eye on Silver, as the wolf-type creature always liked to chase them. For fun of course.

It took Yugi until just after sunset to finish feeding the animals. Once he had cleared everything away in one of the many store rooms, he glanced at the house. Smoke was rising from the chimney. The evening meal must be ready soon. After quickly playing with Silver, both made their way back to the Hopskins's house.

It had been just over a year since Yugi's grandfather had died, and Yugi had to move in with his Great Uncle and his grand daughter. And although Yugi loved his new family a great deal, it just wasn't the same without his grandfather. He had grown up with Sugoroku Mutou, for he had never known his parents. He had grown up in the same house with the same person always by his side. But now that he was gone, Yugi felt an emptiness inside that could never be filled. Yes, he loved his great uncle and cousin, but at seventeen years of age, he felt out of place amongst them. Not to mention that now he was of age, he would soon be expected to marry. Yugi couldn't help but shiver at the thought

Yugi arrived back at the house to find the evening meal was indeed ready, and that Arthur and Rebecca had waited for Yugi to return before they ate. Yugi thanked them, before joining them at the table and enjoying their meal together.

After finishing his bowl of deer stew, Yugi excused himself, saying that he felt tired and thought it would be best that he go to bed early. Arthur agreed, letting him go and wishing him goodnight.

"Poor Yugi," Rebecca said once her cousin had left the room. "He's still hurting, isn't he?"

"I can't say I blame him," Arthur sighed. "His grandfather was everything to him."

"You mean he never knew his parents?"

Arthur shook his head. "Unfortunately not. They disappeared soon after his birth, leaving him in my brother's care. We never saw my nephew or his wife again after that." He stood up. "Come on. We had best make sure the animals will be safe tonight. Come on Silver! We'll need you to keep guard."

Rebecca lowered her saddened gaze. "It's been a year now. Do you think he'll ever get over the death of his grandfather?"

"Only time will tell."

-I-

"What a day!" Yugi collapsed onto his rickety bed. He let his arms fall to his side. "That hunt took longer than I thought. But at least we didn't come home empty handed." He turned his head to the left, his gaze falling onto his hunting bag. _'I wonder if it's still there…'_

Slowly sitting himself up, he reached over to his bag and dragged it over to him. He placed it on his lap, gazing inside. The dirt covered gold pieces were still there.

"I wonder what it is?" He pondered as he tipped the contents of his bag onto his bed. He separated the golden objects from his usual belongings. He held the larger of the pieces in his hand and examined it, making sure to miss no detail. "What a strange…_thing_ it is. I've never seen anything like it before."

Using the sleeve of his tunic, he proceeded in trying to clean the object and its fragments of dirt, brushing the dried soil onto the wooden floor. It didn't take long to clean the strange object, allowing the gold material to completely shine through, dazzling Yugi's eyes.

"Wow," he gasped, handling the larger piece in his hand. "This is amazing!" He glanced at the smaller pieces beside him, picking one up with his free hand. "I wonder if it's suppose to fit together in these gaps…"

He took the small piece and held it close to the larger, pausing in thought. There were three gaps on the larger object, and three pieces that needed to be slotted into place. Yugi tried fitting the smaller piece into the gap on the top. It didn't fit. He tried the larger gap at the front. No, it still didn't fit. He tried the gap on the side.

"It worked!" he cheered as the small gold piece slot into place. He picked up the next one. "Now, this one looks like it goes on top…" He slot it into the gap on top. It fitted smoothly in place. "Yes! Now, just one more piece…"

Yugi picked up the final piece, feeling a pattern under his finger tips. He turned the section around so he could see the pattern. A strange eye shape had been embossed onto the front. Yugi eyed it curiously, holding it towards the candle light to get a better look.

"What a strange design." He glanced at the almost completed pyramid and saw only one slot left on the front. He placed the final piece in place. As he removed his fingers from the now slotted piece, the completed object seemed to glow in the candle light.

"So it _is _a pyramid," Yugi thought loudly to himself, handling it in his hands. "I wonder what it's for?" His gaze fell onto the strange eye-like symbol on the front. His fingers soon became drawn to it. "I wonder what would-GAAH!"

As Yugi's fingers brushed against the eye, an intense pain suddenly erupted on his forehead. He dropped the golden pyramid, vaguely registering it as it fell onto the bed beside him. His hands jumped up onto his burning forehead. The sound of burning flesh filled his ears, and the smell made him feel nauseous.

"What's…happening…" he seethed through gritted teeth. Mere moments felt like an eternity as the burning only seemed to worsen. Yugi curled up in a ball, wishing the pain would stop. Thankfully, after a minute or so, the pain began to dye away, until "GAH!"

A bright ray of white light suddenly shot out of the golden pyramid, filling the room with it's intense brightness and blinding Yugi. Yugi screamed as the eye shot out a golden spark and landed on the bed, Yugi himself deciding to jump off the bed and momentarily forgetting about his burning forehead. The golden spark bounced on the bed. Once. Twice. It stopped on the pillow. The white light shone for a few more moments, before it was suddenly sucked back into the pyramid, leaving only the small golden spark.

Yugi lay stunned on the floor. _'What…What was that?' _He felt a dull pain on his forehead. Jumping up, he leapt to his mirror above his wash basin, and lifted up his blonde bangs.

"Holy shit!" He exclaimed, jumping away from the mirror. His blonde bangs fell back over his forehead. Breathing heavily, and hoping this was all some bad nightmare, Yugi approached the mirror again. He swallowed hard, before lifting his blonde bangs again. He let out a shocked gasp.

The eye-shaped marking on the pyramid had been burnt into the skin on his forehead.

"But how is that possible?" A small gleam behind him reflected into the mirror. Yugi spun round and saw the gold spark that had been launched from the pyramid begin to grow not only in brightness, but in size as well.

Yugi watched in surprise as the light transformed, sprouting two arms, two legs, a body and a head. The golden light began to die away, revealing a human figure in the shape of a man. Or rather, a small male child.

Yugi watched with wide eyes as the light around the figure's body vanished, leaving it-or rather _him_- adorned in unusual clothes. Slowly, Yugi approached the figure which still remained on his bed, sitting on Yugi's pillow and gazed at him with large, surprised eyes.

The male figure was dressed in what looked like robes of cream, with a thick blue band running down the middle of the lower half. His shoulders were draped in a deep violet cloak, and white slippers covered his tiny feet. His body was decorated with golden bands and rings, and a gold crown adorned his head.

Yugi fell to his knees in shock, for it wasn't the clothes the figure wore that shocked him the most. Nor was it the fact that the figure resembled a small child of only two years of age.

No. What stunned Yugi the most was the fact that the young child-like figure looked exactly like himself.

-I-

A/N: And that's the end of chapter one. I hoped you all liked it out there. Please R&R and tell me what you think, and whether or not I should continue.

Until next time!


	3. Stage II: A Pharaoh Named Atemu

A/N: So, how's everyone's summer? Sunny? Hot? Then I wish I was where you are because it's nothing but rain here!

I would like to take this opportunity to thanks these fabulous people for reviewing:

**Dark Mausy, Darkyami7, unseenwater, The Black Angels Red Rose, dragonlady222**

Thank you guys! You know how much I love reading your reviews. Thank you for reading Shin no Duelist, and I hope you like it as much as Rekindled Love.

Right. Now to get on with chapter 2!

**Note:** Just to let you know, the other Yaoi couples won't come into the story for quite some time. And the Puzzleshipping moments will start in the next chapter, I promise (This is **not** a Father/son fic!). Just thought I'd give you a head's up!

'_Thoughts'_

"Speaking"

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters.

Big thanks to my beta **Darkyami7** for their quick and fantastic work.

-I-

Shin no Duelist

Stage II: A "Pharaoh" Named Atemu

-I-

Yugi pinched himself on the arm.

"Ow."

He pinched himself again.

"Ow!"

He then slapped himself across the face.

"OUCH!"

He rubbed his sore cheek. Okay, so he _definitely _wasn't dreaming.

He quickly walked to his mirror again and lifted up his blonde bangs. The mark was still there. He let his bangs fall back into place to cover it and slowly moved his gaze back towards the bed. The golden pyramid was still there, and had somehow managed to gain a brown leather chord so someone could wear it. And the two-year-old look alike was still there too. Yugi sighed heavily. Things kept getting stranger and stranger by the minute. But at least things couldn't get any worse, right?

KNOCK KNOCK

"Yugi?"

Yugi froze. '_Oh shit.' _"Err…Yes, Hopskins?"

"Are you all right?" Arthur asked from the other side of Yugi's door. "I thought I heard you screaming."

"Oh! It's nothing! Really it isn't. I just…uhm…err…f-fell out of bed!" Yugi mentally slapped himself. Couldn't he think of anything better than _that_? He prayed it would work.

"Are you sure?" Arthur continued. He started to slowly push open the door. "Maybe I should come in-"

"NO!" Yugi cried, scrambling to his feet. He rushed to the door and slammed it shut before Arthur could see into the room. He held it closed with his back. "You don't have to do that!"

Arthur stood away from the door in alarm. "Yugi? Are you sure you're all right? You're acting very odd."

"I-I'm fine, Hopskins!" Yugi did his best to sound convincing under the circumstances. He spoke quickly and with an unusually high voice. "There's no need for you to come in! I just hit my head as I fell. But I'm fine now! So I-I'm just going to go back to bed!"

Yugi waited, his heart hammering in his chest. He didn't know why he didn't tell Arthur of the child look alike of himself, or why he hadn't had told Rebecca about the gold "thing" he had found earlier. '_Maybe it's because I'm not as close to them as I was to grandpa. I told him _everything _when he was alive.' _He felt his heart begin to sink.

"Well," came Arthur's reluctant reply. "If you're sure you're all right…"

"I'm sure!" Yugi said, putting his "convincing" voice back on. "Positive!"

"Oh…Okay then." Yugi could hear his footsteps starting to disappear. "Good night, Yugi."

"Good night, Hopskins."

And then he was gone. Relief washing over him like a refreshing cold shower, Yugi let out a long sigh. "That was too close for comfort." He found his hand moving up towards his forehead. He felt the burn. He could feel the pattern underneath his fingers, yet it didn't hurt anymore. Strange.

Not that anything that had happened to him in the last few hours was normal.

_'Okay, what happened here?'_ Yugi thought, trying to remember exactly how everything had happened. _'I found that gold…thing. I brought it back here and put it together. I touched the eye in the middle, and it…it appeared on my head. And then _he_ appeared.'_ He glanced at the child. _'What is he anyway? And what is he wearing?'_

Slowly and cautiously, Yugi approached the child-if you could call it a child- vaguely aware of a strange sensation in his mind. It was as if something was brushing against it. Almost as if there was another presence. Somehow, he felt like it had been almost split into two. He had never felt anything like it before. It both excited him, and terrified him_. 'What if someone can read my mind!' _He swallowed hard at the thought. There were definitely a few things in his head he wanted to keep hidden.

The child on the bed suddenly let out a giggle. Yugi's eye widened. _'He…He didn't…He didn't just…H-He couldn't have!'_ Something flashed in his mind, and the child giggled again. _'_Please_ tell he didn't just…'_ Yugi shook the ridiculous thought from his head. There was no way that was possible…right?

Stopping by the bed, Yugi crouched down so he was eye level with the child, whom had picked up the bottom of his cloak and was clutching it against his chest.

"What are you?" Yugi asked, tilting his head to the side.

The child answered by staring back at Yugi with big, bright, crimson eyes.

"Are you human?" Yugi tried again.

The child's eyes grew bigger with curiosity, if that was possible.

"Can you talk?"

The child moved it's free hand up and placed his thumb in his mouth. He sucked on it loudly.

Yugi sighed heavily. "Of course you can't. You're a baby after all." Yugi took another look at the child's clothing. Something about it seemed strangely familiar. _'I wonder…'_

Yugi stood up and walked over to the shelf above his bed, aware of the child's gaze following his every movement. He gazed up at the few books he had on his shelf, all of which he had inherited from his grandfather. He read the titles on the spines, until he finally found the one his was looking for. He reached up and pulled out an old book entitled "Mystical Mysteries in Domino", blowing the dust off of it. He walked back to the edge of his bed and sat down next to the child.

"Okay, let's see what you are…" he flicked through the old book, which seemed to amuse the child. He soon found the page he was looking for. "Here it is. Human-shaped creatures." He looked up at the child. "Let's see if you're in here."

He read the first description:

_Kaitou_

_When translated, it means "Thief". Not much is known about Kaitous, other than they are very cunning creatures which can be mischievous and sometimes cruel at times. Their location/habitat is unknown._

Yugi looked up at the child. "You don't seem like a Kaitou." The child continued sucking on his thumb innocently. Something with eyes as big as that couldn't be a Kaitou. He went back to the book. "Let's see what the next one says…"

He read the next description:

_Yami_

_When translated, it means "Dark". They are classed in the same group as a "Kaitou" but are not as powerful. Although it is a powerful creature, it is not usually able to get on well with humans or other creatures. Their location/habitat is unknown._

Yugi looked back up at the child. He seemed to be getting on with Yugi well. He hadn't blown him to smithereens yet. He looked at the next description:

_Pharaoh_

_They are classed in the same group as a "Kaitou" and a "Yami", although a Pharaoh's power is far greater. Not much is known about these powerful creatures, other than they poses indescribable powers. They are very loyal creatures. Their location/habitat is unknown._

Yugi thought for a moment, staring at the child. He seemed to match the description, although it was hard to tell, considering he was practically a baby. But something in Yugi's heart was telling him that the child before him was a Pharaoh. Or rather, something in his _mind_ was telling him. The strange sensation from before seemed to have increased and appeared to be spelling out a word…

_/Pharaoh/_

Yugi shivered. _'Okay. That was definitely strange.' _He closed the book and put it on the floor.

"So, you're a Pharaoh?" he said, looking back at the child.

Yugi watched as the Pharaoh slowly crawled over to him. It sat next to him, and gazed up curiously into Yugi's eyes.

"Do you have a name?" The Pharaoh just continued staring at him. "Oh, that's right. You can't talk."

Yugi thought for a moment, until an idea came to him. He slipped off the bed and kneeled on the floor, so that he was the same eye level as the small Pharaoh. Yugi pointed to himself. "Yugi."

The Pharaoh tilted his head.

"Yugi," Yugi said again in a playful tone, pointing to himself. "Yugi."

Ever so slowly, the Pharaoh's right hand moved up and pointed towards Yugi. Yugi could feel his heart pounding in his chest as the Pharaoh's mouth slowly moved open to speak.

"Yugi," Yugi encouraged.

"Y…" the Pharaoh babbled. "Yu…Yu…"

"Yugi." Yugi soon found himself smiling. "Yugi."

"Yu…" the Pharaoh tried. "Yu…Yu…YUGU!" The Pharaoh squealed with delight, clapping his hands.

It took all of Yugi's strength to stop him from falling back, or strangling the little Pharaoh in front of him. But he managed to control himself, speaking through clenched teeth, "No. That's not right."

The child stopped squealing and smiled up at Yugi before letting out a big yawn. Instantly Yugi's anger and frustration seemed to fade away.

"Looks like someone's tired," Yugi laughed before letting out a loud yawn as well. He rubbed his eyes. "Looks like I could do with some sleep too. Now, where could you sleep?…huh?" Yugi looked down to see that the little Pharaoh had crawled forward and snuggled up against him. Yugi couldn't help but let out a smile.

Picking up the Pharaoh in his arms, Yugi stood up and held him with one arm, letting the little one rest his head on Yugi's shoulder. Yugi picked up the strange, golden pyramid and hid it under his bed, not wanting anyone to stumble across it. He then pulled back his sheets and placed the sleeping Pharaoh down on one of the pillows. He then proceeded to change out of his day clothes and pulled on another tunic to sleep in before climbing into bed himself, careful where he moved. Once he was comfortable and had made sure that the Pharaoh was safely tucked up in bed, Yugi closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

"Good night, little Pharaoh."

But as he drifted off to sleep, he could have sworn he heard a voice in his head…

/Yugi/

-I-

The next morning, Yugi woke up bright and early, ready to start the days chores. He was a little surprised at first to find a small child asleep with him, but as soon as the memories of the previous night came flooding back, he found himself smiling at the young Pharaoh and wishing him a good morning.

But something seemed different.

After Yugi had dressed himself in his usual clothes, he turned to face the Pharaoh, whom was sitting in the middle of the bed and watching him with his big crimson eyes. Something seemed different about him. "Have…Have you _grown_?"

The Pharaoh didn't answer with words. Instead, he just tilted his head. But Yugi couldn't shake off the feeling that the Pharaoh had grown during the night. He now resembled a three year old human child rather than a two year old. But if he had grown during the night, wouldn't that mean that his clothes would have shrunk? By the looks of it, the clothes the Pharaoh wore still fitted him as perfectly as they had done the night before. "Maybe I'm just tired…" Yugi shrugged after a while, but the thought stayed with him for the remainder of the day.

"I'll be right back," Yugi said to the Pharaoh. "I'm just going to get us something to eat, okay?"

Yugi turned around and approached the door. He stole a quick glance in the mirror. He knew for a fact that the mark was still there. Luckily for him, his blonde bangs just managed to cover it. Just. Yugi smoothed his bangs down, just in case.

Just as Yugi put his hand on the door handle and was about to open it, he heard something.

"Yugi."

His name hadn't been called by either Rebecca or Arthur. They were still in their rooms as far as Yugi knew. No, his name had been called by someone in the room. Yugi slowly turned his head to the only other person in the area.

"Did you…Did you just…_talk_?" he said to the Pharaoh.

The little Pharaoh stared at him with big eyes.

Thinking he was going mad, Yugi opened the door and stepped into the hallway, closing the door softly behind him. But as he did so, he heard it again.

"Yugi."

Yugi quickly looked back into the room. The Pharaoh was still staring at him. Yugi shook his head and closed the door. _'Definitely tired.'_

-I-

Yugi spent the day helping Rebecca and Arthur around the farm, feeding the different animals and creatures and cleaning their stables. He usually enjoyed the task, talking to the different varieties of creatures and watching them play around in the field whenever he could. He usually loved seeing Silver chasing the Ojama brothers around the stables. But not today.

Throughout the long day, Yugi was convinced he could hear a voice in his head, calling his name. It was the same voice that he had heard the previous night. He didn't know how, but something was telling him that it was the little Pharaoh calling his name. Yugi had left him in his room with plenty of food and some of Yugi's old toys and books to keep him busy, but every so often he somehow managed to call out to Yugi. Whenever he did, Yugi would make up an excuse to Arthur or Rebecca and quickly run to the house, only to find that the Pharaoh was either bored, hungry, or just missed Yugi.

Thankfully, the day's chores were completed just before sunset. Unfortunately, it was Yugi's turn to cook the dinner. Meaning that whenever the Pharaoh called him, he couldn't go and see what was wrong. And it hurt Yugi.

But after dinner was finished, and Yugi had managed to sneak some of the spare food out of the kitchen, he made his way up to his bedroom, excusing himself to a concerned Arthur and very confused Rebecca.

"Hi Pharaoh," Yugi said once the bedroom door was safely closed behind him. "How are you doing? I brought you some food."

Yugi walked over to the bed where the Pharaoh was waiting, noticing that yet again the Pharaoh seemed to have grown a little (along with his clothes). He placed the food in front of him and the Pharaoh smiled before happily digging in.

Yugi sat on the bed and watched the mysterious creature eat, a smile on his face. He had only known the Pharaoh for a day, but he could already tell that some sort of bond had formed between the two. Hearing the Pharaoh's voice in his mind was evidence of that. He didn't feel like a father to the small creature, more like a helping friend or brother than anything else. And strangely, that thought comforted him.

The Pharaoh finished his food, beaming up at Yugi when he'd finished. He wiped the food around his mouth away with the back on his arm.

Yugi smiled. "Was my cooking good?" He picked up the plate and stood up.

"Yugi cooking good."

The plate smashed on the floor.

"What did you say!" Yugi gasped, spinning around to face the Pharaoh.

The Pharaoh giggled. "Yugi cooking good."

"You…You…You can _talk_!"

The Pharaoh nodded his head. "Atemu talk."

Yugi fell to his knees in shock. "He…He can talk…"

The Pharaoh giggled again. "Talk! Talk!"

"But…But _how_!" Yugi cried. "_How_ can you _talk_?"

The Pharaoh stared at him with his big eyes. This human was funny.

Yugi tried guessing. "Did you…Did you…" He saw his books. "Did you read a book?"

The Pharaoh shook his head. Yup, this human was definitely funny. He liked him.

"Did you…Did you just lose your voice last night?" It was a pathetic reason, but Yugi had to try.

The Pharaoh shook his head again. He pointed at Yugi. "Yugi."

"What?" Yugi said, pointing at himself. "Me? D-Did you learn through me?"

The Pharaoh nodded his head. "Yugi!"

"But how?" Yugi asked, running his hands through his hair. "I haven't said that much to you…unless…" It was a crazy idea, but Yugi had to give it a try. He closed his eyes and focussed on the new sensation he had felt inside of him since completing the golden pyramid. He held his breath. /Did you use this/ He slowly opened one of his eyes.

The Pharaoh nodded his head. Yugi's heart fluttered and both his eyes shot open.

/You did/ Yugi tried again. Chills ran down his spine. This was definitely weird. /Yes? No/

_/Yes./_ Came the Pharaoh's eerie reply in his mind.

/And just what is _this?_ Telepathy? Mind reading? ESP? Some sort of mind link-/

_/Mind link/_ The Pharaoh nodded his head up and down.

/Mind link? Is that what's it's called/

_/Yes! Mind Link! Mind Link/_

/But…how did we get this "mind link"? Is it…Is it this/ Yugi lifted up his blonde bangs and pointed to his eye-shaped scar.

The Pharaoh nodded his head. He lifted up his small crown and pointed to something on his forehead. He had the same eye-shaped scar as Yugi.

If Yugi wasn't already on his knees from shock, he would have collapsed there and then.

"Okay, let me get this straight: When I put the gold pyramid together, you appeared." He counted everything off on his fingers. "We both then got this weird mark on our foreheads. And you've learned to talk because you heard _me_ talking to Rebecca and Hopskins through the mind link, and from me talking to you? As in you absorb what I say and use it?"

The Pharaoh nodded his head.

"So you've learned to talk through me?"

The Pharaoh giggled. He really liked this human. "Atemu learn through Yugi! Atemu learn through Yugi!"

Yugi blinked. There is was again. That word. _Atemu_.

"Atemu?" Yugi repeated, enjoying the way it rolled off his tongue. "Is that your name?"

"Name!" The little Pharaoh cheered, clapping his hands. "Name! Atemu name!"

"So your name is Atemu?"

The Pharaoh nodded his head.

"He has a name…" Yugi said in a quiet voice. "He can talk…He-" A thought suddenly came to him. "How come you're growing so fast?"

Atemu pointed at Yugi. "Yugi."

"Me?"

"Yugi"

"Me what?" Yugi questioned. He didn't understand. "What have _I _got to do with you growing so fast?"

"Yugi," was the only thing that Atemu could say.

Yugi sighed in defeat. "Looks like I'll have to wait until your vocabulary grows." He reached under his bed and pulled out the golden pyramid. He tossed it from one hand to another. "What is this thing anyway?" He looked up at Atemu for an answer.

"Puzzle," he said.

Yugi smiled. "Yes, it is a bit of a puzzle, isn't it?"

"Puzzle." Atemu repeated. "Puzzle."

"Don't worry, we'll figure out this "puzzle"," Yugi said, ruffling Atemu's hair.

"Puzzle!" Atemu cried. He tried to reach for the golden pyramid.

Yugi gave a light laugh. He knew one thing for certain; Atemu was definitely cute, even if he was a mysterious creature known as a "Pharaoh". And even if he could read Yugi's mind and grow extremely quickly along with his clothes, it didn't change that.

Yugi stood up and walked to his small window, leaning against the wall. He looked out at the starry sky, the golden pyramid still in his hands. He let out a soft sigh. He had wanted something exciting to happen in his life. Something-or some_one_-that would help him fill the hole in his heart. Something that would help him move on with his life and make it just that little bit more exciting. He guessed he had gotten what he wished for…

…But in truth, it hadn't even started yet.

-I-

A/N: So, like it? Hate it? _Please_ let me know what you think. My confidence needs a little boost at the moment.

Anyway, there won't be any updates for a few weeks as I'm off on holiday, so I'll see you all in two weeks!


	4. Stage III: An Old Friend

A/N: Hey guys! I'm back!

Sorry it's taken me so long to update. When we got back from our holiday, we decided to (finally) change our internet connection, so we had to wait until that came through. Unfortunately, that took longer than I thought it would. Thankfully, that's all over with now, so I can update again!

I've had to split this chapter into two as there was a lot to fit in. Because of that, I've posted them at the same time. And I promise you things will get a lot more exciting in the near future, so I hope you stay around to find out how.

I want to thank all those wonderful people that reviewed:

**beetelgirl, frogger666, Darkyami7, unseenwater, Daikaio, ShadeShadow, dragonlady222**

Thank you everyone! It was nice reading all your comments after I came back from holiday.

_/Atemu to Yugi through the mind link/_

/Yugi to Atemu through the mind link/

'_Thoughts'_

"Speaking"

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters.

Big thanks to my beta **Darkyami7** for their quick and fantastic work.

-I-

Shin no Duelist

Stage III: An Old Friend

-I-

'_It's amazing how fast time flies'_

This was the thought than crossed the mind of one Yugi Mutou as he gazed out his small window at the rising sun. The strange golden pyramid was once again in the grip of his hands.

Two weeks had passed since he had found the scattered golden pieces up in the Ten Mountains, and two weeks had passed since Atemu had first appeared in Yugi's life. And what a fortnight it had been.

Atemu continued to grow rapidly, quickly managing to grow to Yugi's height and roughly appearing to be of the same age, if not a little older. But he did not just grow in height. As the days passed. Atemu became more confident and more independent, but never left Yugi's side and always did what he was told. Almost.

As Atemu grew, it became harder and harder for them to share the same bed. So, Yugi had no alternative but to convert the attic room into a bedroom (in secret) for the Pharaoh, as his room was too small for a second bed. Although Atemu protested to this, he soon agreed to sleep up there after much persuasion-or rather _begging_-from Yugi. And although he accepted sleeping up there, that didn't mean that he accepted staying in there during the day, as Yugi soon found out.

About a week after Atemu's arrival, whilst Yugi and Arthur were working on the farm, Rebecca went back into their house to collect something. No sooner than she entered the house, Arthur and Yugi heard an ear-piecing scream, which they instantly recognised as Rebecca's. They ran back to the house as fast as they could to see just what all the commotion was about, only to find that the kitchen was literally covered in food. Every work surface and wall in sight was plastered in different types of food, with child-like hand prints here and there. And Yugi knew all too well whose hand prints they were.

"Who could have done this?" Arthur had exclaimed.

"I-It must have been one of the traveller's children!" Yugi said quickly, remembering a small group of travellers that had passed by their farm not too long before. "You know how those travellers are, r-right?"

And before some one could answer, he had dashed out of the kitchen, claiming that he was "going to check on the other rooms, just in case."

He had immediately made his way to the attic room, and the sight he saw before him did not please him. Atemu sat on his bed, his robes covered in food, two loafs of bread stuffed in his mouth.

"A-A-ATEMU!" Yugi had exclaimed loudly.

Atemu, unable to speak because of the food in his mouth, gave Yugi a inquisitive look, and tried to look as innocent as he could.

But Yugi had seen this trick before, and he wasn't being fooled a second time. "Don't give me that look! I _know_ it was you who messed up our kitchen!"

"Ho mt wanet!" Atemu cried through the loaves of bread, which when translated meant: "No it wasn't!"

"Atemu!"

Atemu pulled the bread out of his mouth. He tried to use Yugi's secret weapon against him; the infamous "puppy dog eyes" trick. And they got Yugi. Bad.

Upon seeing those big, bright crimson eyes and the cute, innocent look on Atemu's face, he felt something in his heart. He couldn't describe it with words, but it made him feel almost…uncomfortable. Turning away before the Pharaoh could see him blushing, Yugi made his way towards the door.

"W-Well," he said awkwardly. "Just…don't do something reckless like that again. If you need more food, make sure you clean up your mess, okay?"

"Okay," Atemu beamed as Yugi closed the door. But when the sounds of Yugi's footsteps had faded away, his smile vanished. His once bright and happy eyes turned sad and depressed. _'Yugi…'_

_/I'm sorry./_

The words were so sudden it caused Yugi to stop. But they warmed his heart, and after the shock had died down, he found himself smiling. /Apology accepted/. He then went back to work on the farm.

Other incidents followed soon after this, due to Atemu's recklessness and seemingly eternal boredom. And every time Yugi had to make up an excuse to Rebecca and Arthur; each excuse grew more and more pathetic each time. So Yugi decided to improve their "mind link" he and the Pharaoh shared, so that they would be able to talk over a greater distance. That meant that whenever either of them were bored, they could pass the time by talking to each other through their hearts and minds. Or, if they focussed their mind hard enough, they would be able to see what the other was doing through the other's eyes. The task was difficult at first, but they managed to succeed within a week; their range greatly increased.

All these memories from the past fortnight played around in Yugi's mind as he continued to watch the sunrise. Atemu had asked Yugi in the previous few days if they could watch the sunrise together one morning. Yugi, although taken a little by surprise by the request, had agreed. It would be nice to spend some more time with the Pharaoh. And he had always wanted to watch the sunrise again. He hadn't seen it since his grandfather had passed away. And anyway, someone was needed to rise early that day to go into the town centre. So, taking the opportunity, Yugi had volunteered. And now that the sun was half up, he was regretting the decision for he had not received much sleep the previous night. And he had no idea why.

"Aibou?" a voice broke his thoughts.

Blinking, Yugi slowing turned his head to face the only other person in the room (and the only other person awake in the house). "What did you call me, Atemu?"

The just-older-than-seventeen-looking-Pharaoh smiled up at Yugi. "Aibou," Atemu repeated the word, enjoying the strange sensation that seem to run through his body as he said the word. He pointed down at the open book in his lap. "This says it means "partner"."

Atemu had also been taught to read during the past fortnight to try and cure his boredom.

Yugi smiled. "But I'm not really you're partner now, am I?"

Atemu pouted. "But I like it. It suits you."

Yugi gave a light laugh, careful not to be too loud. "Well, if you like it, I guess you could call me that." He stood up and walked over the bed. So much for watching the sunrise together. He threw the golden pyramid towards Atemu. "Do you know what this is yet?"

Atemu caught the puzzle in his hands perfectly. He sighed. "No, not yet. I know what it is, but I cannot say the word. It is not in any of your books and you have yet to say it."

"So you can only say words that I've said?" Yugi questioned, moving one of the books and sitting next to Atemu on the bed.

Atemu nodded. "As I said soon after I met you, I learn _through_ you. I can only say words that _you_ have said either to me, or from what I have heard through the mind link."

"But what about these books?" Yugi held one of the books up to prove a point. "You've been reading them just fine without me."

"That is because I know most of the words because of the words y_ou_ have said, if that makes sense to you. Why do you think I have asked you to say certain words I did not understand in the book?"

"Good point," Yugi sighed. He gazed at the pyramid. "So I guess that until I know what that thing is and say the word, you can't tell me more about it, right?"

"Correct." Atemu lifted the pyramid into the air and examined it. "I know it's some sort of puzzle…"

"Well that makes sense, considering I had to slot the pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle." Yugi gazed out the window. The sun had almost fully risen. Time to go. He stood up from the bed, turning to face the Pharaoh. "Are you going to be all right in my room today? Are there enough books to keep you entertained?"

"I should be fine, Aibou. If I am bored, I will contact you through the mind link."

"Okay, but remember, when you get food you _have_ to clean up your mess!"

"Aibou, I am _not_ a child. I can take care of myself."

"O-Oh…" Yugi took a small step back. He wasn't expecting him to say _that_. He felt…_hurt_. "Well, I'll see you when I get back from Serenely." He started heading towards the door-

-But was soon stopped when he felt two arms wrapping themselves around the top of his body from behind. Two strong, tanned arms belonging to a strong, tanned Pharaoh.

Yugi face felt warm as Atemu gently rested his head on Yugi's shoulder. "Uhm…W-What…What are you doing?"

"Giving you a hug," Atemu said simply, his breath tickling against Yugi's neck. "To apologise."

"O-Oh…I see…" _'And I feel like this because…!'_ He desperately asked himself.

"I really am sorry, Aibou," Atemu said sternly but kindly. He lowered one of his hands slowly, seeking Yugi's own. "I did not mean to say such harsh words to you. I hope you can forgive me." His free hand slowly moved down Yugi's chest.

"Oh yeah! You're forgiven!" _'What the hell is going on? I can't move!'_

Indeed, Yugi soon found that he couldn't move. And not because Atemu's grip was too tight or too strong (although it _was_ a strong grip). No, he found that his body couldn't move _because _of Atemu. It frightened Yugi. He had never experienced something like this before.

A few moments passed, and Atemu was still holding onto Yugi, his head somehow moving closer to Yugi's neck. But Yugi knew he didn't have much time left. He had to leave for Serenely, _now_.

"Uhm…Atemu? I kinda have to go now."

"What?" Atemu's eyes shot open. "Oh…" Slowly, and _very_ reluctantly, he broke the hug. He pouted. "Do you have to?"

"You know I do, Atemu. Rebecca and Hopskins were kind enough to take me in after grandpa died. The least I can do is help them out however I can. Understand?"

"I understand," Atemu said miserably. "Just make sure you come back soon, okay?"

"Okay," Yugi smiled, amazed at how quickly he had recovered. "But you know you can contact me via the mind link."

"I know, but it's not the same!"

Yugi laughed. Saying a quick "goodbye" to the Pharaoh, he opened the door and closed it quietly behind him, before making his way down the corridor.

Atemu strained his ears and listened until Yugi's footsteps had disappeared. Once they had, a mischievous grin stretched across his face. He had managed to find a cure for his boredom, and discovered a way to find out more about his master. _'I'm killing two birds with one stone. Perfect!'_ Rubbing his hands together, he proceeded in searching Yugi's room. What he was looking for was known only to him. But whatever he was doing, it wasn't likely to be good.

He _was_ a Pharaoh after all.

-I-

Yugi looked over his shoulder, back behind him. The Hopskin's farm had long since disappeared from his view, but something kept dragging his gaze back. Seeing only the numerous houses of the busy town behind him, he turned back to the front and continued making his way to the town centre. After a few silent moments, he gazed back behind him again. And again. And again.

'Okay…What…What happened back there?' His mind screamed, trying to make sense of what had occurred. _'One minute we're…and the next he's…What the hell is going on!'_

He turned a corner, vaguely noticing the town centre just up ahead; Serenely Town Square. The morning market was already under way, being it was now an hour past sunrise.

Yugi walked past the stalls, his eyes fixed on the ground, letting his feet take him where ever they felt like going. He soon stopped at the large water fountain in the centre of the square. He sat down on the fountain's edge, resting his chin on his hands.

Yugi continued to be lost in his thoughts. _'Okay, so what exactly _is_ going on here? One minute Atemu and I are just talking, and the next_

_He's…and I'm…'_ He shook his head. _'I don't understand any of this. But it's not like I can talk to anyone when-'_

He paused in mind thought. Something didn't feel right…/Atemu/

He could sense the Pharaoh panicking through the mind link._ /Er…Y-Yes/_

/What are you up to/

_/N-Nothing! Just…reading a book./_ He gave a nervous laugh.

Yugi frowned. He wasn't falling for the Pharaoh's tricks this

time. /Are you sure? You're not rummaging around in my room again, are you/

_/No! Of course not! Why would I_ ever _do a thing like that/_

/Because you've done it before, _remember?_/

/I-I-I was bored/

/_That_ is a pathetic excuse./

Yugi used the power of the mind link to try and see through Atemu's eyes. And sure enough, Atemu was right (for once): he was reading a book.

/Okay, you're off the hook, _this_ time./ He paused. He could have sworn Atemu just sighed. /Atemu, are you all right/

_/Hmm? Oh, I'm fine, Aibou. I'm just…lonely. You are the_

_only person that knows of my existence, and the only friend I have./_

Yugi was touched by Atemu's words. /I'm glad we're friend's again/ he joked. /But if I find you've been going through my things-/

"Yugi? Is that you?"

Yugi pulled himself out of his mind, quickly closing the mind link, and looked up, his amethyst eyes meeting the sight of a unusual traveller dressed in cream robes, one wrapped around his head. He gave a loud scream of surprise, gripping on to the edge of the fountain to stop him falling in.

"S-S-S-Shadi!"

-I-

A/N: Not a very good cliffhanger…good thing there's another chapter to read!


	5. Stage IV: New Tricks

A/N: Like I promised, here's another chapter for you as part of my "double update"…thing.

_/Atemu to Yugi through the mind link/_

/Yugi to Atemu through the mind link/

'_Thoughts'_

"Speaking"

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters.

Big thanks to my beta **Darkyami7** for their quick and fantastic work.

-I-

Shin no Duelist

Stage IV: New Tricks

-I-

"S-S-S-Shadi!"

"So it _is_ you!" The traveller named "Shadi" smiled. "For a moment I thought…but that is not important."

Yugi jumped up and hugged the man. "It's so good to see you again!"

"It's good to see you too, my friend." He returned the hug.

"What are you doing here?" Yugi asked, breaking away from the embrace. "I thought you said you'd never step foot near the Ten Mountains?"

"Yes, well," Shadi said, a little embarrassed. "I _did_ say that…But I was passing through the area and I heard you lived here now, so I thought I could pay you a visit and hopefully catch up."

"That would be great, Shadi." Yugi smiled.

"Are you free now?" Shadi asked.

"I will be soon. I just need to run a few errands for Hopskins."

"Then allow me to accompany you my good friend." Shadi gave a small bow. "And maybe you could tell me a bit about your new home as we go? I am afraid I am not used to the ways and customs of the area."

"Sure," Yugi nodded.

It didn't take long for Yugi to complete his tasks, and soon found that with Shadi's help, he was finished by midday. So to celebrate their little reunion, Shadi decided to take Yugi to the town's only bar for a celebratory drink after he had made Yugi promise not to let Arthur know he had been drinking, even if it was only one.

Arriving at the "Kimera's Cave", they found that the bar was already busy. Squeezing past some of the already full tables, Shadi managed to find a secluded table at the back near the fire place. After gently removing the Kuriboh that was on one of the seats, they proceeded in sitting down. One of the barmen came over and took their order, before leaving them in peace.

"You've changed since the last time I saw you," Shadi commented. He smiled. "You've grown up."

"Well, it _has_ been _two years_," Yugi pointed out. The Kuriboh from before leapt on to him and snuggled himself in his lap. Yugi smiled and began to stroke the lovable fuzz ball. He had always wanted a Kuriboh.

"Yes, it has…" Shadi said solemnly. His gaze lingered away from Yugi's face. "I am sorry about your grandfather, Yugi. He was a good friend. I am sorry I was not able to make it to his burial."

"It's okay, Shadi," Yugi said sympathetically. "I understand, and I know grandpa did. And besides, you _were_ there. You were there in spirit."

Shadi smiled. "That I was." He looked back up at Yugi. "So tell me, how have you been since the last time we met?"

"I've been good," Yugi nodded. "Moving to Serenely was strange, but I managed to settle in quickly. Serenely is a wonderful town, and I like living on a farm, helping out however I can. And Rebecca and Hopskins are always kind to me, so I have nothing to complain about."

"Are you happy here?"

Yugi hesitated. "I'm not unhappy here…But…" He paused. "It's just not the same."

"I understand," Shadi sighed. "It was the same when my father died. I can promise you that the pain you are experiencing now will heal over time."

"I hope so…" There was a silent pause. "So, what about you? How have _you_ been?"

Shadi shrugged. "The same. My story telling seems to be getting more and more popular with each town I travel to, but it's not the same without my favourite customer." He winked at Yugi.

Yugi laughed. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Phew! That is a relief! For a moment I was worried you wouldn't recognise me. Now, where's our drinks?" He looked around for the barman.

Yugi laughed again. _'Same old Shadi…'_

_/Aibou, who is that man/_

Yugi tried to hide his surprise, but he couldn't stop himself from giving a small jump. He hadn't even realised Atemu had been using the mind link. _'I'll never get used to this…' _/He's an old friend of mine, Atemu. His name is Shadi./

Yugi could sense the Pharaoh's uneasy-ness. _/I do not trust him./_

/What? But why not? Shadi and I have been friends since I was a young boy/

_/That may be, but I can sense something from him. He's hiding something…/_

/Oh come on! You're just jealous./

_/I am _not_ jealous of _him!There was a pause._ /Maybe the Kuriboh, yes, but not _that man

Yugi tried to stop himself from falling out of his chair. /_What_ did you just say/

He felt Atemu beginning to panic. Did he say that out loud?_ 'Opps.' /Uhm, I-I didn't say anything a-about Kuri- I mean, I didn't say anything./_

/Atemu, just what are you-/

"Yugi? Are you all right?"

Yugi blinked. He looked up at Shadi. "What?"

"Are you all right?" Shadi repeated, eyeing Yugi. "You suddenly went quiet and starting staring into space."

"Oh! I'm find Shadi. Really." He made a mental note to try and keep his concentration when talking to Atemu through the mind link.

'_Wait a minute…'_

An idea had hit him. Shadi was a storyteller. He travelled from town to town telling stories and gathering information about news from the capital. If anyone could tell him about the mysterious golden pyramid Yugi possessed, it was Shadi. But, how could he do that without actually _telling_ Shadi about the pyramid or Atemu?

"Shadi," Yugi said warily. Well it was worth a try, wasn't it? "I was wondering if you could help me with something…"

"And what would that be?"

"Well…" _'What can I say? What can I say! Oh! That might work!' _"I was reading through one of my grandpa's books the other day, and I came across something. There was a small bit of text about mystical creatures like a "Pharaoh"."

Shadi raised his eyebrows. "I see…Go on."

Yugi could feel the sweat prickling on his forehead. "Well, I was wondering if you knew _where_ a Pharaoh came from?" _'Smooth Yugi. _Very_ smooth.'_

Shadi folded his arms across his chest. "And why would you want to know something like that?"

"Just…curious," Yugi shrugged, trying to stay calm. "That's all."

"Hmm…" _'Why would Yugi want to know about Pharaohs. Could it be?…' _He quickly gazed around the room to make sure nobody could hear them. All of the other customers seemed to be concentrating on their drinks, so they should be fine. He leaned forward and spoke in a hushed voice. "All right. I will tell you. But you must swear not to tell another soul."

Yugi nodded his head as he leaned forward too. "I promise." His heart was racing in his chest. _'Finally! I'll know where Atemu comes from. He'd better be listening to this.'_

Shadi looked around the room again, before taking a deep breath. "The creatures known as _Kaitous_, _Yamis_, and _Pharaohs_ originate from mystical items called the Millennium Items-"

CRASH

Both Shadi and Yugi jumped out of their seats in surprise. The Kuriboh in Yugi's lap flew up into the air from fear, flying around the room in a panic. They stared at the man that had taken their order, whom was pale from shock. Two broken glasses of ale lay splattered on the floor beside his feet.

"Watch what you're doing!" Shadi barked. He eyed the man up and down. Something about him seemed very…odd…

The man blinked slowly. His wide eyes slowly moved into Shadi's face. "S-S-Sorry, sir," he stuttered from shock. "I-I'll go get you two more…"

As quickly as possible, the man turned around and headed back towards the bar, aware of the numerous gazes on him. With shaky hands, he fumbled with the knot behind him until he was finally able to release it. He pulled off his dirty apron, tossing it over the bar. It landed on one of his work colleges.

"Hey!" The man behind the bar yelled. "Where the hell d'you think_ you're _going."

"Duelist Kingdom." The barman muttered, heading towards the door.

"W-What!" The man behind the bar yelled from shock. "Why the hell d'you need to go to th'capital?"

"Because I do!" The barman snapped before exiting the bar. _'It's happening…the Millennium Items…I must report…'_

Meanwhile, back inside the bar, Yugi and Shadi had reluctantly seated themselves back in their seats. The Kuriboh had also returned to his seat on Yugi's lap.

"That was…odd…" Yugi said to break the awkward silence.

"Indeed." Shadi gazed back behind him. He noticed the barman had disappeared. _'This isn't good…'_

"Shadi?" Yugi asked, since Shadi's mind had seemed to have wondered off somewhere. "Shadi?"

Speaking of wandering minds…

_/Aibou, I don't think you should stay there./_

/What? But why not/

_/Something doesn't feel right. I want you to come home right now./_

/What? Atemu, I'm not coming home./

_/But Aibou-/_

/No! I'm _not _coming home. Not when I'm so close to finding out more about you./

Atemu hesitated. _/A-All right. But be careful./_

/I will./ Yugi looked back up at Shadi, who seemed to be contemplating something. "Shadi, are you okay?"

"Hm?" Shadi looked up. "Oh yes, I'm fine Yugi." He rest his head on the palm of his hand. "I just wasn't expecting that. I don't think I should tell you any more…" He began to stand up.

"What! No!" Yugi protested. "You can't leave it like that!"

"I can and I will. You saw what happened just now." He spoke in a hushed voice. "The information is too dangerous."

"Shadi, _please_. Tell me about the Millennium Items. I _promise_ I won't tell another human being." Which was true. Atemu wasn't human after all.

Shadi remained standing. "Why do you want to know about them anyway? Why now? And for what purpose?"

"I told you, I'm curious."

Shadi waited as a woman quietly came over and placed their drinks on the table. After she was out of ear shot, he continued in a hushed voice. "You have been curious before Yugi, but you have never behaved like _this_."

"Things change, Shadi. Especially after you've lost everyone you've ever cared about and you've been alone for so long."

Shadi flinched at the statement. It wasn't helping his already painful guilt. He looked into Yugi's eyes and saw the pain he was suffering. The pain he had had to suffer during the past year. Some friend he had been. He hadn't even attended Sugoroku's burial. He himself knew why he hadn't been able to attend, but it wasn't as if he could tell anyone. If someone were to find out, they would be killed.

Shadi looked from Yugi and to the bar door before looking back at Yugi again. He could feel the smaller's large purple eyes staring in to him, as if he was looking right into his very soul. The traveller sighed loudly. He knew he would regret this.

"All right, I will tell you." He reluctantly sat down, _very _slowly. "But this information can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. So you must never, _ever_ tell another human being. Not even your cousin or great uncle."

"I won't." /Atemu, are you listening to this/

_/I am now. Why/_

/Because I don't want to repeat this later. So listen, okay/

_/Very well./_

Yugi felt Atemu widen the mind link so that he was able to see and hear exactly what Yugi was able to.

Shadi leaned forward, resting his elbows on the wooden table. He clasped his hands together and placed his chin on the top. After checking the room a few more times, he took a deep breath.

"As I said before, _Kaitous_, _Yamis_, and _Pharaohs_ originate from the Millennium Items. The Millennium Items were forged centuries ago, when Domino was shrouded in complete darkness. Our ruler of that time, King Akhunamkhanen, helped create these seven mystical items, giving six to his greatest warriors and keeping the seventh for himself. Together, they banished the darkness and brought peace to the land…"

"The warriors that received the Millennium Items became known as "Duelists". These Duelists soon became very powerful people, each possessing unspeakable magic with the help of their Millennium Items."

"So you're saying the items gave them power?" Yugi asked.

"No. They did not. The Millennium Items merely increased their own powers. Before they received the items, they each possessed hidden abilities of magic. After all, the Millennium Items can only be used by someone who possess a certain level of magic, whether it is known to them or not. The Millennium Items just help them use it, increasing their power at the same time."

"I see…Please, go on."

"Very well. For centuries, the six Duelists and the King used the Millennium Items and their powers to protect the land of Domino from danger. But, as you know, that changed thirteen years ago. No one knows why Pegasus killed the king and took the throne. What is known is that the five remaining Duelists tried to stand up against him, but failed. As a last attempt, each Duelist hid their Millennium Items before they were executed, hoping that someone would find them and be able to use them to stop Pegasus and his Millennium Eye."

"The Millennium Eye?"

"Yes. That is one of the items. There is also the Millennium Scales, Millennium Key, Millennium Rod, Millennium Tauk-also known as the Millennium Necklace-, the Millennium Ring and finally, the most powerful of them all; The Millennium Puzzle."

"Wow, that's a lot of Millennium Items…But I don't understand. Where do Pharaohs come into this?"

"I was just getting to that. I do not know much about the Millennium

Items. I have already told you most of what I know. But I _do_ know that Pharaohs come from one place and one place only: the Millennium Puzzle."

'_Wow' _Thought Yugi. '_So does that mean I have the Millennium Puzzle?' _"What about Kaitous and Yamis?"

"I'm sorry. I do not know where they originate."

"What about any special powers? Can a Pharaoh do anything…" He tried to find the right word. "…specific?"

"As I said, I do not know much. But I do know of one thing they can do. They can transform into any type of creature. I am not sure how it works, but it has something to do with the Pharaoh's master. But I'm afraid that's all I know."

"I see…" Yugi sat back in his chair, trying to take in all of what he had heard. It was taking a while for it all to sink in. _'I knew a little bit about the Duelists, but I never knew about the Millennium Items. It's amazing to think that I have the Millennium Puzzle back in my room, and that Atemu can change in to all sorts of different creatures.' _He looked down at the Kuriboh he was stroking. His lips curled up in a smile. _'I'd love it if he could change into a Kuriboh.' _He imagined the image in his head.

Suddenly, he let out a sharp gasp. His heart had just jolted, and he suddenly felt drained of some of his energy. _'What just happened-'_

_/Aibou/_

Yugi swallowed. He did not like the sound of Atemu's worried voice. /Atemu? What's wrong? Has something happened/

_/Oh, something's happened all right./_

/What? What's happened/

_/I don't know exactly! You have to come home right away/_

/But-/

_/NOW/_

Yugi jumped up from his chair, surprising Shadi and angering the Kuriboh.

"Yugi?" Shadi asked, raising an eye brow.

"I'm sorry, I have to go!" Yugi said quickly before running out the door.

"Yugi!" Shadi called after him, but he was too late. Yugi had already gone. Sighing, Shadi sunk back in his chair. He picked up his drink and brought it to his lips.

'_Yugi is acting rather strangely…I wonder…_' He took a sip of his drink. '_I will have to keep a close eye on him, and inform the others.'_

-I-

Yugi urged his legs to work harder as he ran up the trail that led to the Hopskin's home. _'Please let Atemu be all right!'_

Yugi jumped over the small fence surrounding the house and headed straight for the front door, throwing it open with great force. Arthur and Rebecca were still working on the farm, so he did not have to worry about them. With only one thing on his mind, he raced up the stairs, charging down the small corridor and barging into his bedroom.

"Atemu! Are you-GAH!" Yugi jumped back. "W-What the hell!"

He couldn't believe the sight before his eyes. He rubbed them, so to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He then proceeded in pinching his arm to make sure he wasn't dreaming. When he realised that this was, in fact, very real, he felt the shock slowly begin to sink in. But it wasn't the sight of Yugi's drawers being left open that shocked him. Or the sight of all his belongings scattered all over the floor. That was nothing.

What surprised him the most was the sight of the Kuriboh hovering over his bed, and staring at him with it's big eyes.

"U-Uhm…hi there, little guy," Yugi said in a nervous voice. "D-Do you know where my friend Atemu is?" '_What a dumb thing to say. Kuribohs can't even tal-'_

_/Aibou/_

A wave of relief washed over Yugi like a flood. /Atemu! Are you okay/

_/I wouldn't say that…/_

/W-Where are you? I can't see you/

_/I think you can./_

Yugi frantically searched the room. /Where/

_/Here./_

/Where's that/

_/Right here./_

/**Where?**/

_/Right in front of you./_

Yugi blinked. What kind of answer was that? He looked ahead of him. /Atemu, I can't see you anywhere. All I can see is this Kuriboh… How did it get in here anyway/

_/Aibou, that's not a Kuriboh./_

/Yes it is. It's small, brown and fluffy with green arms and legs, and it's hovering above my bed. I think that _is_ a Kuriboh./

_/No, it's not./_

/And why not/

_/Because that's me./_

Yugi blinked. /WHAT/

_/Aibou, calm down./_

/HOW CAN I CALM DOWN WHEN YOU JUST SAID YOU'RE A KURIBOH! HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN/

_/I don't know. One minute I'm listening to your conversation with Shadi, and the next thing I know, poof! I'm a Kuriboh/_

'_But how is tha-' _Yugi paused. His conversation with Shadi. Hadn't he said… /Ooh…/ Now he remembered.

_/"Ooh" what/_

/I think I know how you turned in to that. I…err…I imagined you as a Kuriboh. Shadi said that a Pharaoh can change into a creature depending on it's master./ He shrugged. /Sorry./

Atemu sighed. _/You're forgiven. Can you just change me back, please/_

/I'll try./ Yugi closed his eyes. _'It's lucky I didn't imagine him as Curse of Dragon.' _The image flashed through him mind before he could stop it, and the same jolt from before shocked his heart.

_/AIBOU/_

'_Uh oh' _Yugi peeped open one of his eyes. Sure enough, Atemu had been transformed in to Curse of Dragon. /Uhm…Oops/

_/Quick! Change me back! I can't fit in your room like this/_

Yugi quickly closed his eyes and imaged Atemu as a Pharaoh again. After he felt another jolt in his heart, he heard a loud "thud". He opened his eyes to see Atemu had fallen on to the bed, back in his original form again.

"Thank you," Atemu sighed. He stood up and dusted himself off.

But that's when Yugi released why his room was in such a big mess.

"You went through my room again!"

Atemu froze. _'Uh oh.' _He was in for it now. "N-No I didn't!"

"Yes you did! You're wearing the Millennium Puzzle!" He slapped his forehead and slowly ran his hand down his face. "After I tried so hard to find a good hiding place for it, you go and-"

"The Millennium Puzzle!" Atemu exclaimed all of a sudden.

Yugi's hand stopped over his eyes. He parted his fingers so he could see. "What?" He dropped his hand. "Atemu, are you even listening to me?" He paused. "W-Why are you smiling like that?"

"Aibou!" Atemu threw his arms up in the air in aggravation. "Don't you get it?"

"Get what?"

"_This_!" He held the golden pyramid out towards him. "You said the words! I know what this is now!"

"What!" Yugi exclaimed. "So it _is_ the Millennium Puzzle Shadi was talking about?"

"Yes!"

"Do you know what it does?"

"Besides transforming me into different creatures?"

"Yes."

"…No."

Yugi fell onto the floor.

"So after all that, we still know hardly anything about it." Yugi dragged himself up off the floor and sat on the bed.

"But at least we know what it is now." Atemu came and sat next to Yugi. "And we know a little about the magic we can use. That is better than nothing."

"I suppose," Yugi shrugged. "I just wish we knew a little bit more. That and it's a little hard for me to take in."

"What is?"

"You heard Shadi. Only those that have magic in them can use the Millennium Puzzle. I just can't get my head around the fact that I have some sort of magic within me." He sighed. "So much for being an average seventeen year old."

"You mean you'd rather not have found the Millennium Puzzle?"

"No, I'm not saying that. It's because of the Millennium Puzzle that I have _you_." He looked up at the Pharaoh.

Atemu slipped an arm around his master. "Aibou, you must be patient. We will discover all the secrets of the Millennium Puzzle and the other Millennium Items in due time. But for now, I think we should practise our new trick, don't you?"

Yugi smiled. "You're right. I'm just being selfish." He paused. "Thank you, Atemu."

Atemu pulled Yugi into a hug. "Any time, Aibou."

Yugi, unsure of what to do, remained still. But after a few moments, he soon found himself enjoying the embrace. He embraced the Pharaoh back, glad to have him around.

But as they did, they failed to notice a shadow watching them from the

trees outside. A shadow that did not resemble a human.

-I-

A/N: Okay, so some of the mystery around the Millennium Items has finally been revealed. At last! You don't know how long I've waited to write that! Anyway, Yugi and Atemu's real adventure begins in the next chapter (_at last_!) so I hope I haven't made anyone too bored so far, and that you'll continue reading. Please R&R and let me know what you think of the story.


	6. Stage V: Family Disaster

A/N: Hello my dear friends, and how are you all?

Sorry this chapter is a little later than I hoped it would be. Alas, school work is being a pain again, and I'm also addicted to YouTube! Love that site…

I wish to thank all you wonderful reviewers out there:

**DarkYami7, spiritfire, unseenwater, The Black Angels Red Rose, Sakura, dragonlady222, Yana5, Dark Mausy**

Thanks guys! I hope this chapter was worth the wait!

Note: I've had to change the way I write the mind link as won't let me use the format I use on my laptop. I'm not sure if I'll go back the other chapters and change them. It depends how busy I am! But I apologise now if this confuses anyone!

_-((Atemu to Yugi))-_

-(Yugi to Atemu)-

'_Thoughts'_

"Speaking"

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters.

Big thanks to my beta **Darkyami7** for their quick and fantastic work!

-I-

Shin no Duelist

Stage V: Family Disaster

-I-

"What have you to report?"

The man bowed before his master. He swallowed his fear. "It regards the Millennium Items, master."

The master sat up in his chair. "What about the Millennium Items?"

The man swallowed. "Whilst in the town of Serenely, I-I heard two men discussing them quietly." He paused. "I believe one of them has a Millennium Item."

The master jumped up from his throne. "Guards! Prepare the Blue Toon Squad! Send them to Serenely, immediately!"

The guards bowed at their master, before quickly exiting the hall.

The master calmly sat himself back in his throne and gazed down at the man before him. "You have done well. Your master is pleased. You _will _be rewarded."

"T-Thank you, Master Pegasus!" the man bowed, before he was quickly dismissed.

As the door to the Grand Hall closed, Pegasus leaned back in his throne. A smile appeared on his face. "Another Millennium Item…Perfect…"

-I-

-(Are you sure you want to do this?)-

_-((Yes.))-_

-(Are you _sure?)-_

_-((Yes.))-_

-(Positive?)-

_-((Aibou! I am_ very _sure about this.))-_

-(But we've never done this before. What if something happens?)-

_-((Nothing will happen, Aibou. We'll be _fine.))-

-(Are you sure?)-

_-((Positive.))-_

Even with all the reassurances, Yugi still wasn't sure. Something was causing him to feel uneasy. He looked around at the crowded market place. He could just be worrying too much and being paranoid, but still…

-(I still don't think we should have come.)-

_-((Why not?))-_

Yugi looked down at Atemu. -(What if someone catches us?)-

_-((They won't.))-_

-(But Atemu- )-

_-((Aibou))- _Atemu interrupted gently. He looked up. -((_We'll be fine. No one has seen through my 'disguise' yet.))-_

-(True…)- He looked down at the creature beside him. -(But why_ that_ creature?)-

_-((You once told me this creature was common amongst the people in your town, correct?))-_

-(Yes…)-

_-((So it makes perfect sense to transform into Silver Fang, does it not?))-_ Atemu finished off.

-(Yes…)- Yugi answered, unsure. -(But still…Did we _have _to bring the Millennium Puzzle with us?)- His hand moved felt the shoulder bag that contained the Millennium Puzzle. It was still there. As was one of Yugi's grandfather's books, which he carried around with him everywhere. You never knew when it would come in handy.

_-((You know I need to be near the Millennium Puzzle for me to be able to transform.))-_

-(I know, but- )-

_-((Aibou…))-_ Atemu stopped. -((_You promised me you would take me to the town one day. And we have been practicing our powers. They are almost perfect now…))-_

-(Almost…)-

_-((Aibou, I assure you, we will be fine.))-_

Yugi tried to shake off the bad feeling he had. He really did. Atemu's words were soothing, and kind. But still… -(I don't know, Atemu. Maybe we should- )- "Ow!" Yugi cried out loud as someone ran into him.

"Oops! Sorry about that!"

Yugi looked up at the familiar voice. "Miho?"

"Yugi?" The blue haired girl replied. "What are you doing here? You hardly ever come to town."

_-((Aibou, who is this?))-_ Atemu asked. He couldn't help but let out a small growl. He was very protective of his Yugi.

Miho looked down at the growling Silver Fang. "D-Down boy!"

"O-Oh, don't worry about him," said Yugi. He kneeled down and forced "Silver Fang" to sit down. "He's just nervous around strangers, that's all." He gave a nervous laugh. -(Atemu! Calm down! This is Miho. She helped me when I first moved here.)-

Atemu stopped growling. He lowered his head and gave a whimper. -((_Sorry…))-_ He looked up at Yugi with big eyes.

Yugi smiled. -(It's okay.)- He stood back up. "See? He's harmless? Miho, why were you running so fast?"

"Oh!" Miho gasped, suddenly remembering. "That's right! A traveler has just arrived in the town square."

"Do you mean Shadi?" Yugi asked.

"No, not Shadi! He left last night."

"O-Oh…" Yugi lowered his head. _'He didn't even say goodbye…'_

Miho, oblivious to Yugi's sadness, continued. "The traveler brings shocking news, Yugi! It has been confirmed that the third Duelist has been captured!"

"What?" Yugi exclaimed. He felt Atemu shiver.

"And that's not all! There are rumors that the forth Duelist has been discovered!"

'_Oh no…'_ The dread Yugi had felt earlier suddenly increased, tenfold.

"Come on!" Miho exclaimed. "The traveler's this way!"

Taking Yugi's hand, Miho dragged Yugi over to the town square where a large crowd had gathered. Atemu tried his best to remain at Yugi's side. They pushed their way through the dense crowd, until they were able to slip to the front. The traveler, dressed in dark rags, was standing on the edge of the water fountain.

"Is it true?" A woman cried from just behind Yugi. "Has another Duelist been found?"

"My friends," the traveler spoke in a booming voice. "The news I bring from the capital is true. The Third Duelist has been captured and is being kept prisoner by our King. No one knows whether he is with his item, but there is news that a companion was with him."

"What about the Fourth Duelist?" A man shouted from the back. "Has he been captured?"

"Friends," the traveller continued, his arms open wide. "I can only say that the existence of the Fourth Duelist has been discovered. No one knows who they are or what item they possess. But there is one thing we do know…" He paused. The crowd leaned forward to hear. "The Fourth Duelist…is near."

"What do you mean by that?" Miho asked.

"Young lady, what I mean is the Fourth Duelist is _here…_" He spread his arm out at the crowd.

The crowd suddenly burst into life.

"What? He's here in Serenely?"

"Who is it?"

"That's impossible!"

"Is it him?"

"No, it's not me!"

"Friends, friends!" The traveler interrupted. "Please! It is not known for sure that the Fourth Duelist lives in this very town. But I must warn you, our King is most unpleased. He will send warriors to this land to search for him."

"Oh no!" A woman cried.

"We must prepare now," the traveler continued. "Stay in your homes at night, and only come out during the day if"

A shiver ran down Atemu's back. A strange sensation gripped his heart. He looked up at the cloudy sky, expecting something to appear.

Atemu's behavior didn't go unnoticed by Yugi. -(Atemu, is something wrong?)-

_-((What?...Oh! I-It's nothing Aibou…really...))- _He glanced back up at the sky.

-(Are you sure? You seem a bit tense.)-

_-((I-I'm fine. I'm just not used to crowds like this.))-_

-(Well, did you want to go somewhere else?)-

_-((Yes, that would be nice. Let's go to the Yami Forest.))-_ He turned around and started to manoeuvre his way out of the crowd.

-(Atemu!)- Yugi cried. He said a quick "goodbye" to Miho before catching up with Atemu. -(Atemu! Wait! Why do you want to go to the Yami Forest?)-

_-((I just… have something I want to show you.))-_ Atemu answered. '_And I want to keep you safe from_ _harm.'_ He glanced up at the sky again. '_They're coming.'_

As Atemu had made sure not to use to mind link for his last comment, Yugi had no idea what his true intentions were. -(Okay, if you say so.)- He shrugged.

As Atemu did not know the exact directions towards the forest, Yugi took the lead and led them out of the village towards the edge of the woods. Once there, Yugi led Atemu up a narrow path, almost completely hidden from view. They walked up a hill until past noon, when they came to a quiet clearing, right next to a small waterfall and stream. As no one was around, Atemu was transformed back into his original form.

"So," said Yugi, sitting down on a log. "What did you want to show me?"

Atemu wondered around the clearing, walking towards the waterfall. "This place is beautiful…" He placed his hand in the middle of the waterfall. The icy cold water sent shivers up his spine. He extracted his hand.

"I know," Yugi sighed, looking up at the sky. "Whenever I need some time alone, I always come here." He pulled his bag on top of his lap and pulled out the Millennium Puzzle. He held it in his hands, staring at it long and hard.

'_The Millennium Puzzle…One of the Sacred Items…Why was it that _I_ found it? Was it purely by accident? Or is there more to it…And why do I feel like it hasn't even begun yet, whatever "it" is.' _He glanced up at Atemu, whom was currently trying to communicate with a bird. _'Only one good thing has come out of all this so far. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have_

_Atemu…'_ He looked back down at the Puzzle. '_But…What if something happens and changes what we have now…What would I do?'_

"Aibou? Are you all right?"

Yugi looked up to see Atemu kneeling in front of him, his face only an inch away from his own, literally.

"I-I'm fine," he answered. "I was just…thinking, that's all."

Atemu tilted his head cutely. "Are you sure? You do not look well…" He slipped his hand under

Yugi's bangs and felt his forehead. Yugi felt his fingers brush over his eye-shaped scar. "You feel a little warm. Maybe I should not give you your surprise-"

"No!" Yugi quickly interrupted. "I'm fine, Atemu. Really I am. I'm just a little tired from the walk, that's all." He smiled. "So, what's the surprise?"

Atemu gave an amused laugh. He slowly removed his hand from Yugi's head, letting his fingers brush his cheek. "It's more of a treat than a surprise."

Yugi felt a tingle down his spine as Atemu's finger tips softly brushed against his skin. "Oh? What is it then?"

Atemu removed his hand. "You'll see. First, I need to transform."

"Okay…" Yugi pulled the Millennium Puzzle over his head and let it hang around his neck.

Transforming always worked better when he wore the puzzle. "What do you need to transform in to?"

"Close your eyes first."

"Why?"

"It's more fun."

Yugi blinked. "Okay, if you say so." He closed his eyes. "So, now what?"

"Open your legs."

"What!"

"Just do it.

Yugi's face grew hot. "A-A-Atemu-"

"Trust me, Aibou."

Yugi gulped. He would regret this. Slowly, he opened his legs so they were now wide apart. His heart hammered in his chest. He could hear Atemu crawling on the floor underneath him. _'Thank Ra I'm wearing dark leggings.'_

"I am ready to transform," came Atemu's voice underneath Yugi.

"I-Into what?"

"Curse of Dragon."

No sooner had he said the name, the image quickly flashed in Yugi's mind and Atemu transformed. Yugi suddenly felt something under him come up, forcing his feet of the ground so he was sitting on "it". He opened his eyes and looked down to find he was sitting on the back of a Curse of Dragon. In other words, he was sitting on Atemu's back.

_-((Hold on tight!))-_

Atemu pulled his wings high above him, before pushing them down with a great force, forcing them up into the sky. With that one thrust, they soared above the trees, leaving the clearing far behind. Atemu brought his wings up again and began to flap so they could climb higher and higher.

As they climbed, Yugi did his best to hold onto Atemu as tightly as possible. His heart hammered harder and harder in his chest as his excitement and fear intensified. He ignored the old saying of "Do not look down" and looked down. The sight both amazed and terrified him. The Yami Forest grew smaller and smaller as they drifted higher and higher. Serenely was not far from view, the village houses no bigger than a dot. He could just see the Hopskins's farm just outside the village.

"Whoa…"

_-((Do you like the surprise?))-_ Atemu asked. They had reached his desired height. He now flapped his wings to keep his balance.

"Like it? I _love _it!" Yugi exclaimed. He threw his arms up in the air, but dropped them back down again as he lost his balance.

_-((Are you all right?))-_ Atemu asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just remind me not to do that again." A thought occurred to him. "Atemu, since when do you know how to fly?"

_-((Since…now))-_

"You mean, you've never flown before?"

_-((No, but- ))-_

"GET ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!"

_-((Aibou! Relax! We will be fine. Yes, I have never been taught to fly, but for some reason, I k_now_ how to fly. It seems natural when I am in this form.))-_

"A-Are you sure?"

_-((Very sure. I would never allow anything to happen to you.))-_

"Well that's a comforting thought. Thanks." He looked around. "This really is a beautiful place…"

_-((Indeed it is…Ready for your next surprise?))-_

"And what do you mean by th-AH--!"

Yugi didn't have time to finish his question, for all of a sudden his stomach lurched as Atemu dived forward, hurtling straight towards the ground. Yugi held on for dear life.

Just as they were about to hit the trees, Atemu suddenly pulled up and soared back up in to the sky, spinning around as he did so. He soared up to his desired height, before turning sharply to the right and flying forward, flapping his wings to increase his already dramatic speed.

_-((Isn't this fun?))-_ Atemu cheered.

-(Not really!)- Yugi screwed his eyes shut.

_-((Aibou, open your eyes.))-_

-(But I'll fall!)-

_-((No you will not. I will not let you fall. Lean your body forward so you are streamline like me. Wrap your legs around my body and you will be fine.))-_

Slowly, Yugi moved his body as Atemu had instructed. At once he felt more comfortable. He slowly opened his eyes. The cold wind stung them at first, but after attempting again, he saw that there was nothing to be afraid of. The world rushed by below him in a blur as Atemu flew this way and that, cutting through the air like a knife.

-(This is amazing!)-

_-((I told you so! Ready for some more tricks?))-_

-(Sure am!)-

Atemu suddenly inclined upwards and began to climb vertically at impossible speeds. Just touching the clouds, he leaned back and allowed his body to fall backwards under the force of gravity. With Yugi still on his back, they dived downwards, before moving his body horizontally again. Flying in a straight line, Atemu proceeded in dazzling Yugi with his flying tricks.

A smile was planted on Yugi's face the whole time. Enjoying the sensation of losing his stomach as Atemu twisted and turned, Yugi couldn't help but scream with joy. Flying was a truly amazing experience, and he knew he would never tire of it.

'_This is incredible! Who knew Atemu could fly like this! It's hard to believe someone that looks so human can fly this beautifully!'_ The image of Atemu's human form flashed through his head, quickly followed by another lurch as they began to fall again.

"Umm…Aibou?"

"Yes?" Yugi looked down, only to find he was no longer sitting on the body of a dragon.

Because the Pharaoh was now back in his original form.

"Holy shit!" Yugi screamed, grabbing onto Atemu's body. "How the hell did that happen!"

"You transformed me back," Atemu answered calmly.

Yugi on the other hand was panicking like it was the end of the world. "I didn't mean to! Oh no, we're going to die!"

"Not if you transform me back…"

Yugi's eyes shot open. "Oh…right." The image of Curse of Dragon flashed in his head, and Atemu transformed into the yellow dragon again. Yugi collapsed in his back. "Sorry about that."

_-((You are forgiven. It was a simple mistake.))-_

"One that almost killed us. We need to work on…" He looked up at something that had caught his eye. "Huh?"

_-((What is it?))-_

"Over there, straight ahead," Yugi answered, pointing in the direction he was looking. "I see smoke."

_-((Smoke?))-_

"Yes, see? Over where Ser-" Yugi felt a sinking feeling inside his heart. His voice suddenly became quiet. "Over by Serenely…"

_-((What?))-_

Yugi panicked. "We have to go back!"

_-((But Aibou- ))-_

"Atemu, we have to go back _now_! Rebecca and Hopskins could be in danger!"

But something was holding Atemu back. Something didn't feel right. -((_B-But Aibou, I can't. I do not want to put you in any danger.))-_

"What about Hopskins? And Rebecca? What about my _family_?"

_-((A-Aibou- ))-_

"We have to go NOW!"

Atemu flinched. Going against his instincts, he reluctantly obeyed Yugi's commands. Flying as fast as he could, he headed towards the smoke, flying between the clouds so no one in Serenely would be able to see him in front of the setting sun.

They reached Serenely in a short amount of time. Yugi forced the bile in his throat to stay down when he saw that the Hopskins farm was on fire.

"No…" he shook his head in disbelief. "NO! Atemu, land now!"

Atemu obeyed, landing near the burning farm. Yugi quickly transformed him back to normal before running towards the burning house. He was forced to stop by the heat.

"Rebecca! Hopskins!" He called into the house. "Silver Fang! ANYONE!"

Yugi called and called again and again, but no one answered. The farm had already collapsed, and as he called to the house, the roof caved in.

"NO--!" Yugi screamed. He ran forward.

"Aibou!" Atemu cried, grabbing Yugi's wrist.

"Let me _go_!"

"No! You'll die if you go in there!"

"I can't let my family die! Rebecca! Hopskins!"

"Aibou, please-"

"NO! My family is in there! I have to save them!"

"Aibou, they are not there-"

"Don't say that!"

"Aibou,_ please_. They could not have survived-"

"NO! I refuse to believe they are dead! Now let. Me. GO--!"

Yugi broke free from Atemu's grip and ran forward.

"AIBOU!" Atemu yelled.

But he need not have yelled, for Yugi wasn't able to get very far.

Out of the sky two large white creatures with blue tinted scales landed in front of him. Yugi froze in fear, terrified by the creatures' razor sharp claws and teeth that gleamed in the fading light. Their blues eyes stared hungrily at Yugi, and the Millennium Puzzle around his neck.

Atemu jumped in front of Yugi to protect him, ready for battle. He growled at the monsters, recognizing who they were and how powerful they are, but was unable to speak their names until Yugi chocked it out.

"B-Blue Eyes Toon D-Dragons," Yugi gasped. "They're P-Pegasus's monsters…"

"Yes, and no doubt they want to kill us," Atemu said bitterly.

And no sooner had he spoken the words, did the two dragons let out a mighty roar and flew towards Yugi and Atemu.

-I-

A/N: Aren't I evil?

But you have to admit, cliffies are fun to write, right?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I look forward to reading your reviews. So please R&R!


	7. Stage VI: Safe?

It's been a while, hasn't it?

Sorry this update is late. School has been a nightmare!

I'd like to say thanks to these fabulous people:

**Angel's Charm, Darkyami7, Amethyst Grey, spiritfire, Atemu Yugi Lover34, unseenwater, DaakuKitsune, dragonlady222, Kyo lover with little sanity, Yana5**

Thanks for reviewing guys! I hope you're still with this story!

-I-

Shin no Duelist

Stage VI: Safe?

-I-

Yugi froze in fear at the sight of the Blue Eyes Toon Dragons charging towards him, their sharp claws all too ready to tear into his flesh. If it wasn't for Atemu grabbing him around the waist and dragging him out of the way, the two dragons would have dug their claws into his chest and would have easily pulled his flesh away from his bones.

Yugi gave a groan of pain as he and Atemu landed hard on the ground. Their skin felt hot being exposed to the roaring fire and was slowly beginning to burn.

Atemu rubbed his head and sat up quickly. He looked back at the dragons and saw them preparing for another attack.

"Aibou!" he cried. "Aibou, I have to transform!"

He gently shook his master's shoulders, but soon saw that his attempts were in vain. Yugi's wide gaze was fixed on the burning house in front of him, and nothing else. He looked on in fear, oblivious to the world around him.

"Aibou!" Atemu tried again, shaking Yugi a little harder. Still, it did not work. "Aibou, _please_! I cannot transform without you. I need to transform so I can protect you! Please aib-"

Suddenly, the Pharaoh heard a roar. He turned around and saw the two Toon Dragons standing in front of the burning house. They both opened their mouths simultaneously, allowing a glowing blue ball of energy to form in their mouths.

Without hesitating, Atemu grabbed Yugi again and pulled him out of the way as one of the attacks was launched. It narrowly missed them both, crashing into the trees behind them and snapping them in half easily.

Again, Atemu let out a groan of pain as they landed on the ground, but Yugi was too entranced to notice. Before either of them could recover, the second attack was launched, landing on the ground beside them. The force of the blast threw the pair into the air. They screamed as they seemed to fly a great distance before gravity pulled them back down to the ground. They landed painfully on the hard surface.

Atemu yelled out in pain, his right arm coming up to cover the top of his left arm as he attempted to climb onto his knees. The bone felt broken. He could taste blood in his mouth from a head wound. He tried desperately to stand up on his feet, but stumbled as he felt dizzy and sick.

"Ai…bou…" he tried desperately to call as he stood up. He clenched his teeth tight to stop himself screaming in pain. "…Aibou…" He tried to listen for an answer over the roar of the fire, but none came. "Aibou!" He looked around at the scene of destruction around him. "AIBOU!"

He managed to spot Yugi lying unconscious on the ground some distance away from him. His left side had been burnt by the dragon's attack. The Millennium

Puzzle lay on the ground beside him, though it was still somehow still attached to the brown leather chord around his neck.

Still holding his injured arm, Atemu started to stagger over towards his partner. But he was stopped when fear gripped his body like a vice. One of the dragons was circling above Yugi's body, like a vulture waiting to feed.

The dragon folded his wings underneath him, and let himself fall to the ground, landing perfectly on his feet. With the second dragon now choosing to circle above him, he slowly approached Yugi, the drool already leaking out between his teeth.

"Aibou!" Atemu shouted, trying to reach his partner. "Aibou! Wake up! _Please_!"

But Yugi couldn't wake up. His body remained still on the ground, the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon moving ever closer to him.

"AIBOU!" Atemu screamed. He reached his right hand out in front of him, trying to reach Yugi.

Suddenly, his vision became blinded by pain as something painful erupted on his forehead. It pulsed through his veins. He could feel it flowing through his arms, until a golden beam of light suddenly burst from his palm. It collided with the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon, causing him to scream in pain as it was blinded in one eye. Screaming, the dragon unfolded his wings and quickly flew up in to the air, its paws covering its injured eye.

Atemu staggered, his body suddenly feeling weak. He looked at his right hand. There was no scar, nor any blood from the beam of light. He brought his hand up to his throbbing head, slipping it under his crown and gently touching his forehead. His eye-shaped scar felt hot under his finger tips.

"What…What was that?" He asked out loud.

But he didn't have time to find an answer. The two dragons above were not finished yet. And now, they were angry.

Atemu glanced up at the dark sky and saw the dragons were preparing to attack again. Still feeling weak, Atemu staggered over to the still unconscious Yugi. Stumbling more than once on the way, he managed to reach him, collapsing to his knees. With his uninjured hand, he shook Yugi's body in an attempt to wake him, careful not to cause more damage to his wounds. He felt something prickle in the corner of his eyes, his chest feeling heavy all of a sudden. But still he tried desperately to get Yugi to speak, move, anything to reassure him that he was alive. But Yugi just wouldn't wake up.

The dragons gave another blood curdling roar. Atemu looked up in fear to see the two dragons hurtling towards the ground at incredible speeds. Thinking of nothing else he could do, Atemu threw his body over Yugi's in an attempt to protect him. He clenched his eyes shut and waited for his painful death…

…But it never came.

CRASH

The sound of bone colliding with metal rang through Atemu's ears. His eyes bolted open. Small sparks were slowly falling to the ground around him. Confused, the Pharaoh slowly picked himself off of Yugi and looked up behind him. He gave a gasp of surprise.

A tall creature that resembled a wolf on its hind legs, with two heads placed on his shoulders, stood in front of Atemu and Yugi. His body was covered in metal armour, and on his right arm a large shield protecting both him and the pair on the ground. In his left, a weapon that Atemu could not name was waiting in its hands, a long chain attached to it trailing to the ground.

"What in the-"

"Atemu!"

Atemu jumped at the sound of his name. At first, thinking it was Yugi, he looked down at his partner, only to realise that he was still unconscious. Panicking, he looked around the area. _'How can someone know who I am?' _Still looking around, all that he saw was the strange beast standing before him, battling with the two Blue Eyes Toon Dragons.

"Atemu!" The voice called again, only closer than it was before.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Atemu jumped at the sight of a robed man suddenly standing before him. Although most of his body was cast in shadow, the light of the fire was enough to illuminate his face just enough for Atemu to recognise who he was.

"It's _you_!" Atemu exclaimed. "But how did you-"

"There is no time to explain!" the man said hastily. "We must get you two out of here as quickly as possible."

"But-"

"Do not worry," the man reassured, crouching beside Yugi. "You can trust me. Yugi does. And do not worry about the dragons. My partner will distract them long enough for us to escape and hide our tracks."

"Your…partner?" Atemu asked, confused. He quickly glanced at the creature before looking back again. "But how-"

"Quickly!" the man ordered, scooping his arm under Yugi as he began to pick him up.

Atemu was quick to help him, deciding to take Yugi in his arms and carry him.

Without looking back, he followed the man as he ran into the woods, leaving the burning farm behind.

-I-

"_Yugi!"_

_Yugi jumped at the sound of his name. Frantically looking through the darkness around him, he saw a familiar figure standing some distance before him._

"_R-Rebecca?" he gasped. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "I-Is that _you_?"_

_Rebecca giggled, her laugh echoing around them. "Of course it's me, silly! Who else would it be?"_

"_B-But I thought you were dead!"_

_Rebecca pouted. "Well that's not a very nice thing to say." She put a smile on her face. "Are you coming?"_

_Yugi gave a few confused blinks. "What?"_

_Rebecca giggled again. "You're acting weird today, Yugi." She looked up. "Isn't he, Grandpa?"_

_Yugi jumped back in surprise as three more figures suddenly seemed to appear out of the darkness, all standing besides Rebecca. "H-Hopskins! Silver Fang!" His gaze fell upon the final member of the group. His voice suddenly became quiet. "Grandpa…"_

"_Yugi, m'boy!" Yugi's grandpa cheered. "Are you coming on our trip or not?"_

"_It won't be as enjoyable without you," Arthur Hopskins said._

_Silver Fang gave a bark in agreement._

_Yugi couldn't believe his eyes. His family was alive. They were all alive! Indescribable joy filled his heart and soul. He wiped away a tear of happiness from his eye. "I'm coming!" He called back, before starting to jog towards his family._

_But as Yugi took his steps towards them, he suddenly found that for some reason he couldn't reach them. For every step he took, it seemed that the others were taking two steps back. Worried, Yugi quickened his pace, thinking it would help him reach his family faster. Unfortunately, the opposite happened, and Yugi's family began to grow further and further apart, disappearing into the darkness._

"_Wait!" Yugi cried, reaching forward. "Come back!"_

"_Yugi…" The voices of his family called, their bodies fading into the dark._

"_Wait! Come back! Don't leave me! Please!"_

_But it was too late._

_They were gone._

"NO--!"

Yugi bolted up off the ground, only to stop and scream as a piercing pain erupted down his left side. Still screaming, his hand came to cover his left side as he fell back down on his back again, his skin brushing against a soft fabric underneath him. He could feel the rough fabric of bandages wrapped around his torso as he continued to hold onto his injured side. He screwed up his eyes and clenched his teeth as he tried to fight the pain.

"Aibou!"

The familiar voice echoed through Yugi's ears, soothing his body and mind. With the pain slowly beginning to subside, Yugi managed to open his eyes, his amethyst gaze falling into deep crimson.

"Atemu…" Yugi said softly.

"Yes, aibou. It's me," Atemu answered. Pain and worry were etched into his face, spoiling his handsome features just as the bandage on his arm spoiled the beauty of his body. "Thank Ra you're all right! I was worried about you."

"Worried…about me?" It was then that the memories came flooding back like a tidal wave. Bolting up again, this time a little more carefully than before, Yugi looked deep into Atemu's eyes. "What about my family? What about Hopskins and Rebecca? Are they all right?"

To say that Atemu was surprised by the question was an understatement. Closing his widened eyes, he lowered his head.

"Th-They're all right, aren't they?" Yugi tried again. "They made it out the fire, didn't they?"

"I'm sorry, aibou," Atemu said solemnly, averting his gaze. "They…They didn't make it."

A cold chill ran down Yugi's spine. "You mean…they're dead?"

Atemu slowly nodded his head.

"No…" Yugi gasped. "No…That…That's not possible. _That's just not possible!_"

Atemu's head shot up in surprise. "Aibou-"

"They're not dead!" Yugi protested. "They're not! I saw them! I saw them alive with grandpa-"

"Aibou," Atemu interrupted gently. "You told me you're grandfather died a year ago. He can't possibly be alive."

"But I saw them! They were all alive!"

"It was a dream," Atemu said, trying to calm Yugi down.

"No! It can't be! It just can't!"

"What the Pharaoh speaks is true," a mysterious voice cut in.

The piercing voice was enough to knock Yugi back to his senses. He looked up at a familiar figure seated on a tree stump. "S-Shadi?"

Shadi did not look at Yugi. He gazed remained fixed ahead of him. "I'm afraid your family did not survive. They are dead."

Atemu couldn't help but finch at Shadi's words. His gazed lingered back towards Yugi. "I'm sorry…"

The now pale Yugi was silent, except for his heavy breathing to try and calm himself down. His hands tightly clutched the cloth that had been placed over him as a blanket. "They're dead…My family is dead…" Although he felt like crying, for some reason the tears refused to fall. "But…how did I survive?"

"It was Shadi," Atemu answered, trying to get Yugi to look at him. "He and his partner distracted the dragons and helped us escape."

Yugi looked up at Shadi. "Partner?"

Shadi, still averting his gaze from Yugi's, nodded slowly.

"Who's your partner?" Yugi asked warily.

"_Him_," Shadi answered nodding ahead of him.

Yugi blinked. Slowly, he twisted around, careful not to cause more damage to his injury, and looked at the creature that was hiding amongst the trees. Yugi could just make out its shape in the flickering light of the small fire in front of Shadi. He almost jumped back in fear.

"T-Two Headed J-Jackal Warrior?" He stuttered. "But…But how is that possible? They're just a myth!"

"He is possible," Shadi answered slowly, reaching into his robe, "because of _these_." He pulled out two golden items that shone brilliantly in the light.

'_He's a Duelist!'_ Yugi felt his heart stop. "You have _two_ Millennium Items?" Shadi nodded slowly. Something inside of Yugi started to boil. It was a sensation that Yugi had never felt before. "And you were going to tell me _when_?"

It was anger.

"I could not tell you what I know before, Yugi," Shadi replied calmly. "I would have placed you in too much danger."

And what I just went through wasn't dangerous enough?! I was just attacked by _two dragons_!"

"I am aware of that, and I see now that it is the right time to tell you of my true life, and the true life of your parents."

"My…My parents?" Yugi felt his heart hammering in his chest. "You _know_ about my parents?"

"Indeed I do," Shadi answered, choosing now to gaze at Yugi. "Your parents and I were close friends when we worked for the King and helped to guard the Millennium Items."

"_What_!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Aibou, calm down," Atemu said, worried about his partner.

"You mean to tell me you knew _everything_ about my parents and you never told me? Not only that, but now it's only now that I find out you're a _Duelist_?!"

"Aibou, please," Atemu said, seeing the anger in Yugi's eyes. "Be reasonable."

"How can I be reasonable, Atemu, when my closest friend has been keeping these secrets from me for my _entire life?_"

"He had his reasons," Atemu argued.

"'He had his reasons,' huh? Well I don't give a _shit_ anymore!" He grabbed the Millennium Puzzle around his neck and forced it off. "I've had ENOUGH!" He threw the sacred item straight at Atemu.

The Pharaoh caught the item in his hands clumsily. "Aibou-"

"NO!" Yugi cried. "I am _not_ you're "aibou" anymore! I am not a Duelist and I NEVER WILL BE!"

Throwing the cloth away from his body, Yugi stood up hastily. Being that his wound was still fresh and still needed to heal, as soon as he got to his feet he stumbled in pain.

"Aibou!" Atemu cried, rushing to his feet to help Yugi.

"Get away from me!" Yugi cried, pushing the Pharaoh away roughly. He was vaguely aware of the mystical creature stumbling behind him as he forced his own body to move hastily forward into the dark forest.

Atemu stood in shock as he watched Yugi disappear between the trees. He glanced down at the Millennium Puzzle in his hands.

"Aibou…"

Yugi couldn't do this. He shouldn't have been acting like this, not when he was badly injured - Atemu felt a pang of guilt grip his heart, knowing he could have protected Yugi better. He knew that Yugi was angry, but acting like this would only make things worse. _'I have to help him.' _Pulling the puzzle's leather cord over his head and letting the sacred item hang around his neck, Atemu dashed forward after Yugi.

"Aibou!"

Yugi ignored the call, continuing to stumble forward. He forced the low branches out of his way, snapping them off if he had to before throwing the useless things to the ground. He tripped over rocks and roots hidden in the night's darkness, but found that he didn't care anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing.

Eventually, Yugi pushed his way through to a large clearing, where the forest ended at a cliff. Not caring about his pathetic life anymore, Yugi slowly approached the cliff. He stepped to the edge, a few pieces of dirt falling away as he stepped on them. He looked down at the distant trees and rocks at the bottom. They looked so small and insignificant from this height; Yugi soon found that he didn't feel afraid anymore. He just continued to stare downwards, the rocks and trees becoming ever more inviting…

"AIBOU!"

Yugi slowly glanced behind him. "Don't try and stop me, Atemu."

Atemu stood close to the trees, his heart pounding in his chest, and not from the run he had broken into to catch up with Yugi. He gulped as he saw Yugi standing so calmly on the cliff edge. "Aibou, please, you need not do this!"

Yugi looked back down at the rocks. "Why not?"

"Because you have so much to live for!"

Yugi threw his head back as he laughed loudly, his voice echoing below him. "I have _nothing_ to live for. Not now! Not when my family is _dead_ and my life has been a complete lie!"

"No, it hasn't!" Atemu protested. He took a hesitant step forward-

"Don't come any closer!" Yugi screamed, hearing the footstep.

Atemu stopped. "Aibou, your life wasn't untrue. Just because Shadi has hidden a few things from you doesn't mean that your entire life has been a complete lie-"

"How do you know?" Yugi argued. "He knows about my parents! I know _nothing _about who they were. I don't even though they're names! I was left with my grandpa when I was only a year old. I know _nothing_ about my parents!"

"But at least you had a family," Atemu retaliated.

"I know nothing about who I am, only that I am a Pharaoh, a mystical creature that exits because of you and the Millennium Puzzle. I know nothing of the Millennium Items or how it is that I originate from them. I have no family, I only have you."

Yugi's hands clenched by his side. "So what? Maybe it's better like that. After all, you haven't got a best friend that's been lying to you for your _entire_ _life_!"

"That may be, but that doesn't mean that your _whole life_ was a lie! Why can't you see that? I know you've had hardships in your life, but everyone does. And they cannot ruin the memories of the happiness you experienced."

A silent pause filled the air.

"You speak of happiness, Atemu?" Yugi said quietly. "How can I remember, or even _feel_ happiness, when the painful memories I have block out the happiness." He looked back down at the bottom of the cliff. "I don't want to…I don't want to be tortured like this anymore. I can't stand the pain, or the lies. I can't!" He lifted up his foot.

Atemu panicked. "Aibou, you don_'t_ need to do this!"

"_Yes I do_! I have _nothing_ to live for anymore. I have _no one_!"

"WHAT ABOUT ME?!"

Yugi froze, his foot stopping in mid air. Another pause fell upon the pair, where the only sound that filled their ears was the sound of the cold wind blowing through their bodies.

Atemu felt his heart pounding in his chest. Knowing very well that this was his only chance, he carried on speaking. "Aibou, without you, I am _nothing_. I cannot exit in this world without you. If you die, I die too. But that is not the reason why I want you to live." He paused. "It was because of you that I was brought into this world, and I do not regret it one bit. Everyday has been an adventure for me, and I know that there is still more to discover. And I want to discover that with _you_."

Atemu paused, seeing if Yugi was listening to anything he was saying. He hadn't jumped off the cliff yet, so that was a good sign. But Atemu knew he was speaking nonsense. For some reason, he just couldn't say was he so desperately wanted to say.

Seeing that Yugi wasn't going to speak any time soon, Atemu took a deep breath and continued. "Aibou, I know you have been hurt. And I know you feel that your life was a lie, but it _wasn't_. You say you do not know anything about your parents, but Shadi is giving you the opportunity to finally find out what they were like. You are _this close_ to finally discovering your origins, whereas I believe I will never discover all the secrets to my origin. Do you really want to throw all that away?"

Again, Atemu stopped for Yugi to speak. But again, Yugi did not utter a word.

"Aibou, you and I share a unique bond that no one can understand. I can sense in my heart that you don't want to do this. So don't. I want us to carrying on living together, sharing each other's lives and feelings, discovering new things together everyday. I don't want this to end, and I know that you feel the same way. So please," he took a step forward and outstretched his hand. "Please come back."

The tears were now slowly pouring out of Yugi's closed eyes, cascading down his rosy cheeks and falling down the cliff. Atemu's words struck him in the heart, touching his soul. His body shook with emotion and fear as slowly, he reached behind and gently touched Atemu's waiting hand.

"Help me," he whimpered, his legs unable to move.

With relief flooding over Atemu's body, he stepped forward and gently aided Yugi away from the edge of the cliff. Once they were at a safe distance, he wrapped his cloak around Yugi, holding onto his waist with his uninjured arm. It was then that Yugi finally broke down. All the sadness and anger that had built up inside suddenly burst free. Falling to his knees, and bringing Atemu down with him, Yugi sobbed hard, his cries echoing in the night.

But Atemu did not leave. He would not leave, not when Yugi needed him. Placing a gently arm on top of his head, the other remaining around Yugi's waist, he gently stroked Yugi's hair in an attempt to sooth him. He remembered when he was still young; Yugi had done the exact same thing once. The memory caused a smile to play on the Pharaoh's lips. Yugi had always been there to help him, and Atemu would always be there to help Yugi.

"Shh…" he soothed gently. "It's all right. Everything is going to be fine, aibou."

Yugi continued to cry, his sobs slowly dying down as Atemu continued to comfort him. He was so thankful to the Pharaoh, words could not being to describe how he felt. Maybe being a Duelist wasn't so bad after all. If he had never discovered the Millennium Puzzle, he would never have met Atemu.

But, then again, his family would not have been killed.

The minutes passed, and Yugi was soon able to calm down. His body felt drained as he continued to stay in Atemu's arms. He could hear his soothing heart beat in his chest.

Atemu looked down at the now quiet Yugi. "Do you wish to return to camp?" He felt Yugi nod his head. He smiled. "Very well." As gently as possible, Atemu aided Yugi to his feet. With his arm still holding onto his waist, they made their way back towards the camp.

-I-

Yeah, not a very good ending…

Anyway, sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


End file.
